Chapter Two

 

After a few drinks.

     No, no, I remember when you stole those puppies from Ol'dogcatcher Davis. You had to feed them like babies, oh man do you remember that?" They were at a table in the back of the little bar. They had always hung out there even before they were old enough to drink. Lance had sang karaoke before it had a name. He would always pretend to be a rock star and sing to her from the stage. Lance was leaning on his elbows as close to her face as he could get with out touching her. So they could hear over the band, he said. "I rescued them. Thank you very much. What was I suppose to do? They were going to get murdered!" She piped back as she took another swig from her bottle. "Whatever, you didn't sleep for weeks. We all should have known then that you would be a vet. All the signs were there."

     "I just couldn't resist when a little blonde headed green-eyed boy would bring me box turtles with cracked shells and his hamster with wet-tail." He smiled and gazed at her for a minute. "Like I said all the signs were there... I tried to give Tricia a frog once," Kendall laughed and waited for the rest. "She screamed and threw it across the yard. I couldn't come around her for a week, and I had to wash my hands before I came over." Lance broke his stare when he noticed that they were out of drinks. The alcohol was getting the better of her and she couldn't quite follow the story. "Why would you give her a frog, you know how dainty she is." Lance came back to the conversation and tried to remember why he did it. "Oh because she had just told me a story about the princess kissed a frog and it turned into a prince. I was trying to help her find the right frog."

     Kendal fell into laughter and put her head down for a minute. When she raised it she said, "boys will be boys... I think she may have been calling you her prince. You know, like you are now." The conversation simmered down. "Maybe," he agreed. "Maybe I should have given her a toad!" Lance had a drunken revelation. "You are so silly do you know that." Kendal smiled at him with glazed eyes. "But you still love me." He said touching her cheek with his lips. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up. "Shh, don't tell anybody." She whispered. He had moved on to her ear and she was barely breathing. "Don't tell anybody what?" As her eyes rolled into the back of her head, she mustered up the nerve to say it. "That I love you." She turn to him as his mouth found hers. They kissed, their first kiss... His hands were on her face and she had an arm around his neck. He wasn't sure how long it lasted, the next thing he knew Penny was tapping them back into reality. "I knew you guys were going to be trouble. Let me take you home. Kendall stood up like a child in trouble and gave Penny her keys. Lance couldn't break his stare. What was this what was this feeling? It was incredible.

 

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     It had been two days since that night at the bar. Penny dropped Lance off at his house, when he got out he thanked her for the lift and slid his shoulder out from under Kendal's sleeping body. He asked Penny to just leave her there with him, but she wouldn't do it. Maybe she was right not to. They had been through so much together, it would have been wrong to rush it on one drunken night. Kendal paid her dues the next day.

      Hey Mama, need help with anything?" Lance asked her coming into the kitchen going for the tea pitcher. Diane smiled to see him home and getting some color back into his pale face. "Well since you asked. I do need something." Lance was looking at the bottom of the glass before he turned it right side up again. Wiping his mouth he waited for her instructions. "Kendal has bought a new house and I just know she needs someone to help her with all that furniture I gave her. Do you think you could ride over there?” Lance saluted her and marched out of the room, "consider it done, Sgt.!"

     This house was a huge accomplishment for Kendall, after everything she finally had her own home again. The family secret was that her aunt's depression had used up most of her inheritance. The rest paid for what the scholarships didn't and her SUV. The house was a sign of her status as a young woman making it on her own. After she had saved the Snider's family hound dog, they decided to move into the country. Giving Kendall the house at cost. The three bedrooms, 2 full baths, and two-car garage with den, attic, and finished basement was a sweet deal for a young single woman. She had scrubbed the house from top to bottom, there were boxes spread about the house. Her bed was put together and made but until she could find some free time she would have to wait on the little things. Up a small trail on the back of the property there was a small cottage.

     It consisted of two large rooms, the one is the back held an antique claw foot tub in front of a huge bay window. The tote full of cleaner had been used all day. She decided to take advantage of her first night in her new home. Finding a box marked candles; some fresh towels and some bath oils she took it back with her. The steamy water fogged up the illuminated window with the sweet scent of the candles. Slipping out of the jeans and the bulky flannel shirt she eased into the bubbles. The heat took her breath but it felt too good to get out. She rested her head on the cool porcelain and rubbed her body. The achy muscle gave way to the therapy so she could relax. A branch snapped outside. She paid it no attention; the country wind can do that from time to time.

     Not until she felt someone standing over her did she open her eyes. She was startled and gasped sitting up trying to cover her. Lance jumped too not meaning to scare her, or himself. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean too! I didn't see anything!" A lie, but not needing to make this any worse. She was still shaken trying to wipe her face to regain her nerves. “Oh my god! You scared ME! You just... just came out of nowhere!" She said. "Tell me about it..." he mumbled. He was reeling in confusion too. He had found the house empty in spite of her jeep being in the driveway. The back porch light was on revealing the faint path. He followed it on instinct. Letting himself in the scent and flicker of the candles drew him in.

     There he stood admiring her pure innocence accented with soft bubbles. Her curls drenched and caressing her neck, her toned legs sticking out of the water. Complete beauty in its rarest form. He was falling in love with her.

    "What?" she asked trying to get her wits about herself. "Nothing, what are you doing?" he asked her. "Getting out, give me my robe." He pleaded, "No, don't get out I'll go..." That wasn't what she wanted. "No” she stopped short. "I don't want you to go..." He saw the spot of fear in her eyes, and he knew she could see it in his. "Ok then," he spoke low and soft as he pulled off his shirt. "What are you doing?" She covered her eyes and looked the other way embarrassed to see his bare chest. "I'm getting in.,” he said undoing his belt and sliding off his sneakers. "No. You can't" she squirmed. "Come on we used to take baths together all the time." She looked up just in time to see him in the buff stepping into the tub. "Yeah, when we were three." Easing into the water behind her he held his breath until he was sitting down. "This water is hot!" He finally admitted. "I honestly didn't have you in mind when I made It." she said with her knees up to her chest as close to the other end as she could get determined not to touch him.

     When his legs found their place on both sides of her hips she was startled. His warm hand found her shoulder. "Hey, I didn't know you got a tattoo." She flashed back in her mind to that night. "Yeah about a year after graduation." He moved his hand up the back of her neck. "Kendall, come here." He pulled her to his chest. She finally gave in and found her place nestled against him her nerves were tangled but she was relaxing. It felt right it felt so good. She had dreamed about stuff like this. He kissed her neck with her back arched and her toes curled, strong solid arms held her curvy frame like a seatbelt for her to ride to ecstasy. Over her shoulder she found his mouth hungry for kisses with a quick roll she now faced him. The water glistened in the candlelight. His ripped flesh was kneading underneath her palms. Slipping around in the oiled water she feel him growing hard as steal. First her abs grazed it, then her leg. When they stopped kissing she whispered his name. The soft sweet voice made him want her even more, not want, but need her.

     "Kendall, I think I'm in love with you." The words backfired, her eyes focused and he saw pain and sadness on her face. Sitting up on her knees she covered what was out of the water. "Well I think you should leave." she leaned over grabbing a towel wrapping it around herself as she stood up. "What are you doing? What's wrong?" She fumbled for her shoes and robe in a huff. "You just don't get it do you?" Lance getting out too pulling a towel to him tried to stop her. "I love you, I'm in love with you, and I don't think it! I know it, I feel it! Every time I see you every time I see Tricia, every time another guy touches me I'm disgusted, because it's not you. And what do I get Jimmy? You think you're in love with me. While you parade around town with that whore! Yeah, I think you need to go do some thinking on your own!"

     With that she tied her robe and headed back to the house. Before leaving he cleaned up the room and blew out all the candles. The door closed softly behind him. Even though he was wet and it was cold he went around the house instead of through it.

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      The next day she planned to make amends with him. She never meant to act that way. They could salvage their friendship, even if it cost her heart. Still something had to be done. His mother would quickly pick up on any unrest. So she went to his house, it was only about ten miles from her new place. A silly offering of breakfast would be given as a peace offering. Down the hidden one lane road to his own little palace. The trees were tall and thick right at the edge of the road. After the trail twisted back to the right she was there.

     The white house trimmed with dark green accents. She peered up at the windows on her way to the door. Knocking with no response was starting to make her knuckles sore. His car was there, the garage door was drawn. Kendal made her way around to the side of the house and let herself in the sliding glass door from the patio. Through the kitchen and up the back staircase. At first she walked into the guest bedroom by accident, then into the hall closet. She was laughing so hard by time she made it to the right door; she practically fell in with a boom. Lance was on his stomach when she came in. Kendal's laugh stopped in her throat. Her breath stopped and she could feel all the blood drain from her body. He rolled over to see her as Tricia sat up in the bed. Covering her bare body with the sheet.

    "Hey Ken Doll, good morning..." Lance spoke first to break the silence. She stammered and turned, her first instinct was to run. Standing there was wrong, so wrong, wrong on so many levels. It's wasn't suppose to be like this. "Kenny what are you doing here?" Tricia stretched and let the sheet drop with no shame. "Umm today... today is Callie's check-up. I wanted to pick her up on the way to the office." She spat out the first thing that came to mind. It was lucid and completely of context. “What?" Tricia yawned and tried to pull Lance back to her side. When he resisted she swung her feet off her side of the bed. "I called your apartment, there was no answer. I need you key to get her. When she finished speaking she left the room heading back down the stairs. Her mind was racing and she only hoped that they didn't know. "Ken-"Lance followed after her. When he got to the door Tricia called out. "Sweetie will you make me some coffee."

    Kendal was trying to close the door to the jeep when he ran out with no shoes on. "Kendal wait..." He jumped up on the side the way he had done the night at the stables. She took a few deep breaths and stared at the house trying not to cry. "What Jimmy? What could you possibly say to me right now? Do you think there is anything under the sun that would make me listen to you right now?" Lance had tears in his eyes too and he understood everything she was saying but he was so angry that it took over. "Hey you kicked me out last night! I told you I'm love with you and you told me to leave! What I'm a I..." She pushed him off the jeep and jumped out to get in his face. "Some fucking love, if you loved me we would not be having this conversation right now. If you loved me that bitch would not be in your bed!" The top of her head came to his chin and she was snapping off with every inch. "Hold up, one minute... Why did you wait so long to tell me how you felt, if your so heartbroken over Tricia and me the why didn't you do something about it?" She could feel the blood in her temples thumping faster and faster. She made eye contact with him and calmed her voice down. "I thought I did, and when you left... I came home from school for the summer... You had made your choice... and you chose her." The tears were streaming now and she walked back to the jeep and pulled away.

    Lance was dumbfounded in his pj pants in the middle of the driveway. Tricia was getting out of the shower when he made his way back up to the room. "Did she forget the key?" Lance sat on the bed and didn't speak. Tricia saw the change in his demeanor. "What's wrong with you?" She said brushing her hair out, this silence worried her. "Nothing, I..." She stopped and her stomach twisted up in little knots. "What did Kendal really come over here for?" Lance made eye contact with her for the first time since he had came in. "What do you mean?" If she knew anything it would better for him to come clean, here and now. "Come on Lance I know she has some little crush on you." She found her clothes and started to get dressed. "What would make you say something like that, you know she grew up with me and my family." Tricia focused her eyes on his back and wondered if he even knew. Before she could speak he started again. "Since when do you call me Lance?" He stood up and walked over to the closet. "Ok I don't know what she said to you but you really need to chill out, I don't believe you would question me. I'm the one who waited for you to come back. While you were off with your job, doing god knows what with god knows whom. Me! Not your mother's precious Kendal! Me!" Lance was pulling some jeans out when her words met his ears. "Watch it Tricia, you're taking it too far." She pulled her shirt over her head and stormed out of the room.

     She would get over it, she always did after a whining session. He was about to close the closet door when he saw his old army jacket. Pushing hangers around he took it down. It flashed back in his mind to the week that he left. Kendal had the jacket he told her to take it to school with her. He knew how cold it would get, especially for her. What was it doing here? The conversation came back. “I made my choice?” He ripped the jacket open to the breast pocket. There is was just as he suspected. A letter…

     What else could she have meant? “Jimmy” was all that was written on the envelope. His heart ached as he read the word. She had spilled her heart to him in that letter and asked that he thought heavily before he made a decision between her and Tricia. That if she was his best friend it was better than nothing but she loved him. She only wanted him to be happy. The letter went on to tell that she wanted to make something of herself before she would be any good for him. She wanted to show him that she could do it. To honor his family for taking so much time and love with her. After she lost hers they were all that mattered. That if this didn’t work out she would never mention it again. It brought him to tears. How could have he been so blind? How could he make it right?