you’re about
as different from your mother as you can be. Can’t you see that? You’re
nothing like her.”
Alannah got up from the table and
dumped the rest of her coffee. She
didn’t want to reflect on any more old memories. Her friends simply didn’t understand. While she was washing her mug, she heard
someone leave the kitchen. She had
assumed it was Kevin, but when she turned around, she saw him still there, watching
her with dark and solemn eyes, which was very un-Kevin-like.
“I was in love once,” he told her,
out of the blue. “I went to vet school in Texas and I studied large animals
before transitioning into small animals. For a while I worked on a ranch and the owner’s daughter used to assist
me. She had a passion for the animals
like I did. She was beautiful and smart
and man, I fell for her hook, line, and sinker.”
“What happened?” she whispered, her
heart already aching because she knew this story didn’t have a happy ending.
“She died,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact. Only the tightening of his lips told her how
he was still affected. “She was riding
and a stampede broke out. Her horse was
green and she was thrown.”
“Oh, Kevin. I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged, and it was more than
obvious that he was acting cavalier to a memory that still haunted him. “Life happens, Alannah, to all of us. I had a broken heart but I came back to those
that loved me, back to the people I care about. Cee kept me going. I don’t know how I would’ve made it through
without her.”
“So what you feel for her is
gratitude?”
“No.” He shook his head. “There’s not a day that goes by, that girl I
lost doesn’t cross my mind in some way or another. But with Cee I’m
able to push aside that pain and be happy.”
“Aren’t you afraid…” and here was
the real crux of the matter. “Aren’t you
afraid the next time will end just as badly?”
There. It was out. She’d finally vocalized her own fear. If she were to allow herself to fall in love with Sky, all she could see
for their future was a goodbye. But
Kevin smiled and shook his head.
“It takes a leap of faith and a whole lotta kisses.”
****
Alannah pushed all the questions
and doubts aside as she drove up to Sky’s house. She had spent the rest of the day driving
around Dexter and reacquainting herself with the small
Missouri town she’d grown up in. At the
high school she’d remembered going to all the football and basketball games,
part of the cheering section for the home team. It’d been just an excuse to escape her home and her sarcastic, often
drunk, mother. It was no wonder her
father had split before she was born. She couldn’t wait to leave either.
There was no way to step back and
examine what her feelings toward Sky had been back then. He’d been her best friend, her confidant, and
yes, he’d been a fantasy she was too scared to reach for. She hadn’t let herself scrutinize her
feelings for him too closely, because if she felt more than friendship then
maybe…maybe she wouldn’t have wanted to leave.
And back then she’d needed to
leave.
Perhaps she hadn’t made the best
decisions after that. She’d gone to
design school, had met Bryce Burns and had believed he was the perfect ending
to changing her mother’s fate. Boy, had
she been wrong.
And now this “thing” she had going
on with Sky––she didn’t know what the hell to call it. Sure, friends with benefits, but…holy heck,
how could a woman like being tied up and blindfolded so much? Perhaps she needed to go back and read all those BDSM books she’d turned away from.
Sky greeted her with a hug and
delicious kiss that almost melted her panties right off. Seriously, if they had gold medals for
kissing he’d blow the doors off everyone else. They talked pleasantries about their day and Alannah made sure to
as different from your mother as you can be. Can’t you see that? You’re
nothing like her.”
Alannah got up from the table and
dumped the rest of her coffee. She
didn’t want to reflect on any more old memories. Her friends simply didn’t understand. While she was washing her mug, she heard
someone leave the kitchen. She had
assumed it was Kevin, but when she turned around, she saw him still there, watching
her with dark and solemn eyes, which was very un-Kevin-like.
“I was in love once,” he told her,
out of the blue. “I went to vet school in Texas and I studied large animals
before transitioning into small animals. For a while I worked on a ranch and the owner’s daughter used to assist
me. She had a passion for the animals
like I did. She was beautiful and smart
and man, I fell for her hook, line, and sinker.”
“What happened?” she whispered, her
heart already aching because she knew this story didn’t have a happy ending.
“She died,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact. Only the tightening of his lips told her how
he was still affected. “She was riding
and a stampede broke out. Her horse was
green and she was thrown.”
“Oh, Kevin. I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged, and it was more than
obvious that he was acting cavalier to a memory that still haunted him. “Life happens, Alannah, to all of us. I had a broken heart but I came back to those
that loved me, back to the people I care about. Cee kept me going. I don’t know how I would’ve made it through
without her.”
“So what you feel for her is
gratitude?”
“No.” He shook his head. “There’s not a day that goes by, that girl I
lost doesn’t cross my mind in some way or another. But with Cee I’m
able to push aside that pain and be happy.”
“Aren’t you afraid…” and here was
the real crux of the matter. “Aren’t you
afraid the next time will end just as badly?”
There. It was out. She’d finally vocalized her own fear. If she were to allow herself to fall in love with Sky, all she could see
for their future was a goodbye. But
Kevin smiled and shook his head.
“It takes a leap of faith and a whole lotta kisses.”
****
Alannah pushed all the questions
and doubts aside as she drove up to Sky’s house. She had spent the rest of the day driving
around Dexter and reacquainting herself with the small
Missouri town she’d grown up in. At the
high school she’d remembered going to all the football and basketball games,
part of the cheering section for the home team. It’d been just an excuse to escape her home and her sarcastic, often
drunk, mother. It was no wonder her
father had split before she was born. She couldn’t wait to leave either.
There was no way to step back and
examine what her feelings toward Sky had been back then. He’d been her best friend, her confidant, and
yes, he’d been a fantasy she was too scared to reach for. She hadn’t let herself scrutinize her
feelings for him too closely, because if she felt more than friendship then
maybe…maybe she wouldn’t have wanted to leave.
And back then she’d needed to
leave.
Perhaps she hadn’t made the best
decisions after that. She’d gone to
design school, had met Bryce Burns and had believed he was the perfect ending
to changing her mother’s fate. Boy, had
she been wrong.
And now this “thing” she had going
on with Sky––she didn’t know what the hell to call it. Sure, friends with benefits, but…holy heck,
how could a woman like being tied up and blindfolded so much? Perhaps she needed to go back and read all those BDSM books she’d turned away from.
Sky greeted her with a hug and
delicious kiss that almost melted her panties right off. Seriously, if they had gold medals for
kissing he’d blow the doors off everyone else. They talked pleasantries about their day and Alannah made sure to
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