by Kris Bryant
“He’s almost three years old.”
“He’s such a good dog. Kate said he was hurt when he was a puppy. Where did you get him?” she asks.
“Somebody from our department heard something crying somewhere behind our building. We all spread out until we found a tiny little puppy. I fell in love with him the moment I saw him. He gave me a sad, but trusting look and I knew that I was going to protect him from that moment on no matter what.”
“How did he get these scars?” she asks.
“Somebody had already hurt him by the time we found him,” I say. I don’t want to tell her the horrors of his history and she doesn’t push.
“That’s awful. He’s beautiful and so sweet.” She bends down and kisses his head. He responds by licking her entire face. Everybody laughs.
“Yeah, he’s a total lover. He really is the best dog I’ve ever had,” I say.
“Kate said he was great out in the field. Does he help find people after tornadoes hit?” she asks.
“Not really. I mean, he has before, but he’s not trained to do so. I’m sure it’s just instinct. He’s very aware when there is danger and is cautious,” I say.
“Are you worried that he’s going to get hurt?”
“Yes. I don’t let him out of the car when we’re in a place where there is tornado debris because he might step on nails or sharp objects. Lesson learned.” I tell her about all of the obedience classes we’ve taken over the years and how much time I spend with him one-on-one. She’s genuinely interested and I’m happy we’re talking so much. “That’s the hardest part of having a pet. You need to make sure you have the time. I’m lucky because Maddox is our department mascot and they love him. I take him to work every day. He stays in my office when I have classes, but the rest of the time he is right next to me.”
“I’m too busy for a dog.” Annabeth sounds sad.
“Well, Maddox loves attention so whenever you feel the need, he would love a date with you,” I say. Annabeth smiles at me. I’m so in with this girl. I’ll have to give Maddox an extra treat tonight for knowing exactly what to do and who to charm.
“Dinner’s ready,” Kate says.
I’m amazed at how fast the television is shut off. Within a minute, everybody is in the kitchen helping Kate put the food on the table. My mother has to give us at least a ten minute warning if we’re watching a show or a game for us to even think about heading to the dining room.
“It looks great, sis,” Gary says. He and Ben are standing next to their chairs talking about the game. I notice they don’t sit until we all do. Tonight is full of surprises. And here I thought chivalry was just another word in the dictionary. We pass the food around and compliment Kate on her culinary masterpiece. Our conversation is fluid and even Annabeth joins in. She’s very intrigued by storm chasing. I keep the stories light and fluffy. No one wants to hear the heavy and sad. Even when Annabeth asks about Kate’s accident, I keep it informative, but not descriptive.
“It was a wedge tornado. They are the fat ones that take up a lot of space and their size rapidly changes. That’s what happened when the tornado hit their truck,” I say.
“That must have been awful to see it happen right in front of you,” Annabeth says. I don’t tell her that I wanted to throw up and that I was crying and Hunter had to calm me down.
“It wasn’t fun. We were lucky to be right there and able to get help immediately.” Kate squeezes my knee underneath the table. We never talk about the details of that day. It was a bad time in our relationship and neither of us really want to go there. I’ve told Kate how scared I was, but I don’t tell her how I found her all bloodied and banged up. I leave out the gory details to the family, but tell them the essentials and throw in how Maddox was concerned. That lightens the mood and it’s nice to see the kids smiling.
“I’d love to go out with you guys one time,” Gary says. Without even looking at him, I know Ben disapproves. I don’t blame him. He almost lost one child to a tornado.
“Well, let’s see what next season is like.” I’m non-committal and that seems to appease both Ben and Gary.
The rest of dinner goes smoothly. The kids talk about school and work. Ben pipes up from time to time, but is relatively quiet during the meal. Kate’s quiet, too, and that surprises me. Since we’ve reconciled, she has become a lot more talkative. It’s hard to even picture her before when she kept her nose in her notebook, practically ignoring us.
“I cheated and bought dessert, guys,” Kate says. “I simply ran out of time.”
She jumps up and starts coffee. Gary and Annabeth clean up the plates and load the dishwasher. Ben and I are left alone and continue our conversation about The Food Network. Apparently, we share a strong love for competition cook-offs. It becomes apparent that neither one of us can cook worth a damn, but we sure have opinions about who should have their own show and who shouldn’t.
“Hey, let’s give it a rest you two,” Kate says. She hands Ben and I coffee and Gary follows with cake. We change the topic to winter, my least favorite, yet most active season here in Oklahoma. Last year’s ice storm took out two of my elm trees and a beautiful conifer I was nursing back to health after it suffered from a previous ice storm.
“Have you ever wanted to work for a news station?” Gary asks me.
“No, I like the freedom that the university affords me. I pretty much get to do what I want. I like teaching what I know and I like seeing weather unfold out in the field. I have a feeling Hunter and I are going to head south next season. Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama have been hit hard by powerful storms the last two seasons while we’ve stayed mainly in the Midwest.” Even though I want to go on and on, I know that I have to keep their interest so I reluctantly stop. Besides, my weather phenomenon explanations have nothing to do with why I don’t want to work for a news station.
“So are the people on television real meteorologists or just pretty faces the networks hire?” Annabeth asks.
“Both, I think. They know their stuff, but they rely on a team of specialists who gather the data for them. They’re just the ones comfortable in front of a camera.” I leave out the part that several I know are pompous jerks.
“Do you ever do interviews?” Annabeth’s really interested in what I do.
“I try not to. Usually reporters want to talk to somebody right after the fact and we’re either helping people or gathering data. We were in Greensburg, Kansas when the tornado struck. That’s the only time I’ve ever willingly given an interview. That was mass destruction. Storm chasing can be exciting, but you have to learn how to handle the bad, too.”
“Okay, let’s talk about something else,” Kate says. She sits down next to me and reaches out for my hand. This is our first official public display of affection in front of her family. I stiffen, but nobody says anything or reacts. “Gary, when is football over?”
“We have a few more weeks.” Before he can really get into the conversation, we’re interrupted by Gary’s phone.
“Well, that’s Kayla. I need to get going.” He stands and reaches over to shake my hand. “Tristan, it’s good to see you again and meet your dog who ignored me the whole night.” We all laugh. He waves to all of us and quickly leaves. Ben looks at Annabeth.
“Is Rob coming over tonight?” he asks.
“No, Kate said tonight was family night,” she says. I can see her face fall, crushed that her older brother got to go out, but not her.
“I didn’t mean that you couldn’t go out. I just wanted you here for dinner with us,” Kate says. Annabeth rolls her eyes.
“Well, you could have told me that sooner,” she says. She picks up her phone and heads for the stairs. She looks back at me. “Thanks for coming, Tristan. Maddox is cool.” She disappears before I can respond. Ben and Kate chuckle.
“That went way better than expected,” Kate says. Ben nods in agreement.
“If you don’t mind, I’m headed to my office. If you need me, just holler,” Ben sa
ys. He grabs his coffee and leaves. Kate and I are finally alone.
“What did you think?” I ask.
“What did you think?” she asks.
“I think it went okay. I’m still scared of your dad though. The only time he really talked to me was when we talked about all the different cooking shows.”
She smiles. “We all fear Big Ben. I’m surprised at Annabeth. I knew Gary would be charming. Annabeth was respectful. Thank God Maddox was here.” She reaches down and pets him.
“Yeah, it looks like you’ve got competition for Maddox’s attention.”
“Well, as long as I don’t have any competition for yours, I’m fine,” she says. I quickly kiss her.
“How long are we staying?” I can’t wait to touch her. I haven’t seen her in six days.
“We can leave now. Let’s go tell my dad.” She grabs my hand and we walk down the long hallway until we reach Ben’s office. Even though the door is ajar, Kate knocks. “Dad? We are getting ready to leave. We came to say bye.”
“Come on in,” he says. His office is massive and full of dark cherry furniture. I’m instantly in love with it.
“What a beautiful office,” I say.
“Thank you.” He walks over to us and reaches out for my hand. “It was good to see you again, Tristan. This time under better circumstances.” I nod in agreement. “Have a nice evening.” He leans over and kisses Kate on her cheek. As we turn to leave his office, my eyes catch a stack of papers on his desk because I see the words University of Oklahoma. Something inside clicks. I stop. Kate looks at me puzzled.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
“Can you give me a quick moment with your father?” I ask. She’s surprised, but covers it well and nods.
“Sure. I’ll let Maddox out before we head to my place.” She leaves and closes the door. I’m glad she didn’t push me for a reason. I’m sure that will come later.
“Ben, can I ask you something?” I ask. He motions for me to sit down in the wingback chair to the side of his desk. I sit down slowly, my mind going a million miles a minute trying to figure out how to ask the question. “Our school received an anonymous donation last month. A very generous one. We don’t know who it’s from, but my name is the only staff member’s on the paperwork. I just want to know if you know anything about that?” He stares at me forever, his blue eyes piercing mine. I’m trying hard not to look away. “I don’t know anybody who could give that kind of money and most people want the world to know when they’ve contributed to support a university or a cause.”
“Well, I think that anonymous means the contributor doesn’t want people to know he or she has made the contribution. Perhaps there’s a good reason.” The more I think about it, the more I’m certain it’s him. I don’t know anybody else who has that kind of money. Plus, I’m sure Kate did a guilt trip number on him this summer when she found out he was behind her landing the government grant.
“Perhaps his daughter attends a rival school and if word got out that he contributed to it, people might get the wrong impression.” It’s a bold move, but I throw it out there to see if he’ll take the bait.
“It’s entirely possible. Hypothetically speaking, maybe he did the wrong thing previously and this is a way to make things right.” I don’t know how to react now. Obviously, he wants to keep it under wraps, but how do I thank him? I can’t just pretend he didn’t save my ass or several jobs with this generous endowment.
“Well, let me state that our department is completely in this person’s debt and I’m eternally grateful for his generosity,” I say. He actually winks at me. We leave it at that. He walks me to the office door. “Have a good rest of your weekend with Kate.” I practically skip down the hall. Kate rounds the corner with Maddox and I almost bump into them.
“You ready?” she asks. I nod. It’s hard not to smile.
“What?” she asks.
“We’ll talk about it later. Let’s get back to your place.” Maddox follows us out. As nice as this place is, I really just want to be alone with Kate in her cute little apartment celebrating us. It’s been almost a week since I felt her warm body against mine.
Chapter Thirty
“Okay, you know I’m not one to pump you for information and stuff, right?” Kate asks. I nod. It’s two in the morning and I’m in the aftermath of really good sex and the soft space right before I fall asleep. “And I never ask you what you’re doing or who you’re with, right?” I think I nod. “So are you going to tell me what you and my father were talking about?” That wakes me up. She’s put me in a bad spot. I don’t want to lie to her, but I don’t want to reveal Ben’s actions. He wants to keep it anonymous. Obviously, my relationship with Kate is far more important, but this could have a snowball effect. She will either love her father even more, or get pissed that he’s gotten involved again.
“I was talking to him about the donation our department received, that’s all. Remember that anonymous cashier’s check we got? Well, I was asking your father if he knew anything about it.”
“What did he say?”
“He didn’t confess.” Technically this is true. “But I got the impression that it was him.”
“I wouldn’t put it past him. He was clearly upset after I explained the consequences of his actions,” she says. I relax. She’s not mad. I put my arms around her and pull her close to me.
“It’s late. Let’s go to sleep, love,” I say. I can feel her smile against me.
“You just called me love,” she says. And I’m fully awake again. Did I really? I try not to tense up as I allow my fuzzy brain to recall the last ten seconds. Yep, I did. Well, that was a slip. It’s either time to spill my true feelings or pretend to be asleep. The latter sounds less complicated, but telling her how I really feel sounds wonderful.
“Yes, I did,” I say. We’re both very quiet for a few moments.
“Why?” she asks. This really isn’t the way I want this particular conversation to go down. I want to be in front of the fireplace at my house, drinking wine and listening to soft jazz, not naked and freezing in her tiny apartment at two in the morning, tired, after a stressful night of meeting her family.
“I don’t suppose you’ll wait until morning to let me answer that?” I ask. She pinches me. “Ow! Okay, okay. I said that because I mean it. You’re my love.” I sit up and untangle us so that we’re looking at one another. “I love you, Kate. I really do.” She’s not smiling and for a split second, I panic. Tears well up in her eyes and my eyes widen with fear. “Don’t cry, love.” I say it again. That makes the tears fall. I cup her face in my hands and make her look at me. “Is that not okay with you?” Now her bottom lip quivers. I have no idea what’s going on right now. She reaches out for me and I hold her close. Now she’s actually sobbing. Christ. This isn’t going the way I had planned at all. Even Maddox looks over at us. “Kate, Kate, it’s okay,” I say. I run my hand up and down her back, trying everything I can to make her stop crying.
“No, it’s good. It’s really good. I’m happy.” She looks up at me. I wipe her tears away and smile at her.
“You aren’t supposed to cry like this when you’re happy.” I smile to let her know I’m kidding. I breathe a sigh of relief. She laughs a bit. It sounds garbled and emotional, but better than her sobs. I kiss her forehead again and pull her close to me again to hold her.
“Tristan, I love you, too. I have for a long time. Probably since your birthday,” she says.
“Really?” I ask. Suddenly, I’m no longer tired.
“I know I haven’t been easy and we have a lot in our past, but I do love you and I really want us to work.” She’s finally calm enough to look at me. “I’m not going to screw up again. I might make you angry from time to time, but that’s not my intent.” She places her hand over my heart. “This is the best present in the world. Your heart.” Great. Now, my eyes fill with tears.
“I know we’re going to make it work. There’s nobody else in the world I can ima
gine myself with. You’re absolutely perfect for me. For us,” I say, nodding at Maddox. He’s been right by the bed since he heard Kate cry. She reaches out and pets him quickly to let him know she’s fine. Satisfied, he goes back to the bed Kate made him out of a quilt.
“Since you came into my life, I’ve found my family and my heart again. The last six years have been so empty and I’ve been so alone. I can never thank you enough for giving it all back to me.” She snuggles against me again. The adrenaline rush of our confession has given me new life and I have a better idea that doesn’t involve sleeping. I lean up on my elbow so that I’m looking directly at her.
“I don’t give my heart easily. I trust you and I love you. We’ll make this work. I can’t imagine my life without you. I look forward to our visits, our phone calls, holding you, making love to you, kissing you, sharing with you.” I lean down and kiss her softly. This is our first kiss after confessing our love and I can already tell it’s different. She moves her body closer to me and I deepen the kiss. Her moan encourages me to continue and I slip a leg between hers. She wraps her arms around my waist, holding me closer. I break the kiss to trail my lips down her neck, savoring the sweet, smooth taste of her skin against my tongue. I touch her collarbone with my fingertips and smile when I feel her nails in the back of my neck, scratching softly through my hair.
“You’re beautiful and all mine,” I say. I cup her breast and gently lick her nipple, feasting on the sensitive bud until I feel her squirm beneath me. I give the same amount of attention to her other nipple while I slowly slip my entire body between her legs. I feel her hips raise slightly at my weight, her need for friction building. I’m surprised she isn’t sensitive since we both just had amazing orgasms less than half an hour ago. I reach between her legs and am surprised at how wet she is for me. I slowly run my fingers up and down her slit until I hear her hiss through clenched teeth.
“Tristan.” Her voice is low and shaky. It’s perfect. Her voice sounds exactly like the way I’m feeling. Emotional, heartfelt, and raw. I slip inside of her, marveling at her wet warmth and how she molds around me, her tightness clutching my fingers. I move slowly, gently at first until I know she is ready for more. It doesn’t take long for her hips to move against my hand so I speed up and work my mouth down her smooth, soft stomach. I can feel her quivering against my lips, taste the thin layer of sweat as her body works with mine to reach bliss again. Her moans are music to my ears. I’ve never wanted to please another woman more. It isn’t long before I’m at the junction of her thighs where I begin a slow seduction with my tongue. Her clit is hard and I can feel her heartbeat. She isn’t going to last much longer. My fingers are steadily building her up, while my mouth gives her the friction she needs. Again, her hands find the back of my neck, but this time she is clutching my hair, allowing me to do whatever I want to her. This is the new Kate. This is her giving herself to me fully. We have trust tonight and from this night forward. Her hips start moving in tiny circles and I know she is ready. I give her what her body is asking for. She cries out at her release and reaches for me the moment she has strength again. I crawl up next to her and hold her as tears stream down her face. This is her happy cry.