Not Man Enough

He was nervous, so nervous. Damn! His hands were sweaty. Could be wonderful, could be just another great night out with Kyra. Eighteen months. They'd been together eighteen months and lived together for most of those and no one could have been more surprised than he was.

In their high school she'd had quite the reputation. They'd gone to different colleges, but his friends said that college was even crazier. She was the high voltage, hard charging, party girl always chasing the next adrenaline rush. But they'd met at a friend's wedding and she settled right in with him. Amazing. Every morning that he woke up and she was still snuggled in next to him was a surprise and a blessing.

They'd discussed marriage, kids, goals in life and everything seemed to be on track. Party days over, nesting phase full speed ahead... But! Recently she'd started having business trips, ladies' night out... and looked pretty rough sometimes when she got home. He sighed. He knew what it probably meant, he wasn't stupid, blind or naive. But...

But, damn, he loved her. Loved her like no one before. Beautiful, smart, incredible at night...

Her mom said he was headed for disaster. His mom said that frankly he was a damn fool and she was going to break his heart. They were probably right, but every day with her was so wonderful...

The ring box was in his pocket. Time for a discussion. New beginning? More of the same, which he loved? Or... well, he didn't even want to think about that.

"So what do you think, Kyra? Happy birthday! We're at your favorite restaurant. No dieting tonight. So order away. Do you want some wine?"

"Yes, red please."

"Excuse me, Miss. could we start with a bottle of red?"

"Sure! Special occasion?"

"Yup. It's her birthday."

"That's terrific! Congratulations, Ma'am." Kyra just nodded.

"You look terrific tonight, Kyra. You're the most beautiful woman I know and I can't tell how much I love you. No way can I even begin to tell you how wonderful you've made my life. Thank you for... well, for everything. So, happy birthday, Kyra. I...."

"Please. Stop right there, Drew. I have to talk to you about something."

"OK, Kyra. You seem nervous or something. Is everything alright? What's up?"

The wine came and and the waitress poured them each a glass, then left. Kyra picked hers up and Drew was preparing a toast to her birthday, but she downed it in a single swallow. Uh oh.

"And that's the problem right there, Drew. You're too fucking nice. You do everything you can to please me. My favorite flowers, favorite restaurant. It's always all about me."

"That's because I love you and I want to make you happy. Not sure I see the problem."

"We don't fight, even if I try to instigate one. I try everything I can to piss you off and I can't even ruffle of your feathers. You just side step it. It's like you don't even care about it or what I want. You just say okay. You never stand up to me, never tell me no.

"You always agree to what I want to do or buy. It's never about YOU! What YOU want. What YOU would like to do or where YOU would like to go. It's like you don't care about any of it.

"Hell. Even in bed, you're gentle, considerate, more interested in MY pleasure than your own. You're never after me just for your own satisfaction. No lust. Greed. Hunger. Do you ever just want to get your rocks off and use me to do it? Do you ever feel like being rough or taking your frustrations out on my body?

"No. To put it plainly, you're a fucking pussy, Drew. Sometimes I think I have more testosterone than you do. And, I think I need a real man. A man who doesn't give a shit what I want. A man who'll stand up to me and throw me around some when I step out of line.

"A man who wants me so badly that he throws me against the back of the couch, rips off my thong and fucks me hard and fast and makes it hurt. Then grabs my hair, drags me to my knees and makes me take him in my mouth.

"A man who will throw me on the bed and take my ass, even if I scream no and even if I'm not ready. A man who doesn't care how I feel about it or how much it hurts. He wants me that much. He wants to fuck me that much. He needs to possess and control me that much.

"Can you do that, Drew?"

"I can be rougher, if you want, but..."

"That's the fucking problem. You shouldn't give a shit whether I want it rough or not! You shouldn't give a shit whether I cum or not. We should be eating at YOUR favorite restaurant, not mine, even if it is my birthday."

His face was growing red, "Like the guys on your weekend trips..."

A look of guilt flashed across her face and she paused as she looked at him and her guilt was replaced momentarily with a touch of sadness, sorrow, compassion. "Drew? I..."

But then her attack face returned, "You say you love me, but you never once challenged me about the phone calls, the texts, the nights out... yes... and the weekends. What MAN would have let me get away with that! A MAN would have beat the crap out of me or kicked me out the door.

"It's just that you're always rock steady. No ups, no downs. The great provider. The perfect choice. You'd be a great father.

"But you've got no backbone. No guts. You watch football, but you never yell or scream at the plays; never rant and rave at the outcome, cheer your team on... It's like you have no emotions. No highs. No lows. Don't you EVER get angry? Don't you EVER just want to beat the shit out of me? I've tried to piss you off, but nothing works? It's like nothing matters to you!"

Things in the restaurant had stopped. "But, Kyra..."

"I've thought a lot about it, Drew. I need more. I need a big change in my life. I need excitement, thrills, the unexpected. Maybe even danger. But most of all I need a MAN. A man filled to the brim with testosterone.

"A man who would never watch a chic flick with me. A man who could defend me if someone was threatening me. A man who'd die for me. A man who couldn't give a shit whether it's my birthday or not.

"A man who'd never want to go bird watching... BIRD WATCHING, except maybe with a gun. What the hell kind of man goes bird watching?

"... And that's not you, Drew. Never could be, no matter how hard you tried. You just don't have it in you. So I'm leaving. My bags are in your trunk and the ride service will be here in ten minutes to take me to the airport. I'm leaving for LA in a few hours to see if I can change my luck and change my life. Goodbye, Drew."

She started to get up to leave, but he grabbed her arm and roughly yanked her back down. In a low threatening growl, "Sit your fucking ass down, NOW, Kyra! You've had your say, so now it's time for me to have mine." His face which had been filled with pain and hopelessness was replaced with rage.

"I guess you found that man of yours during the weekend business meetings. There are no weekend business meetings, Kyra. I knew that. Maybe it was during those meetings at the office or the 'outings' with your friends. The events followed by blood in the toilet and no sex for me for several days. Am I getting warm? You think I was blind? I just thought... well, doesn't fucking matter."

She looked down and away, "Drew, I...

"You couldn't just end it. You could have just said goodbye, it's not working out for me, whatever. But you had to cheat on me. More excitement. The thrill of maybe being caught. The explosion to follow.

"I was going to ask you to marry me tonight, Kyra. The ring's in my pocket. My mom said I was a fool. Your parents begged me not to do it! What's that say about you, Kyra? Your own fucking parents didn't want me to marry you!

"And I knew, I knew in my heart that I was making a mistake. It could only lead to more pain--a disaster."

"Oh, Drew, I...."

Struggling for control, "So...., thank you, Kyra, for sharing your feelings with me. I could respond in kind and share my thoughts about you, but what's the point? I'm a pussy. I knew from the day I met you that this day was coming.

"Hanging on to you would be like catching the wind. Any ring around your finger would be about as strong and lasting as long as a smoke ring...

"Hell after the shit you did in high school and college? Your reputation as an easy lay with no strings... the fuck queen of your college. Wonderful sources of recognition."

"What!"

Ignoring her, "I knew that restless spirit would make you decide to leave me at some point. Grass is greener, glass half empty, all that shit. No one could have been more surprised than I when you stayed month after month and seemed content and happy to be with me, to live with me.

"I actually started to believe I might be wrong. They were wrong--that you maybe had changed. But then the outings started. Still, I thought... I thought," he shrugged. "what any eunuch would think. That I was wrong.

"But I wasn't wrong. So thank you, Kyra for eighteen wonderful months filled with memories I'll always treasure. I hope you find what you're looking for. But you won't. If I see you in the future, you'll still be looking. You're not happy with yourself so you'll never be happy with the world around you." Poking her chest with such force that she flinched, "You're empty in there and nothing or anybody can fill that up. Only you can."

"Drew, I..."

"Shut the fuck up, Kyra. My turn to talk."

Sighing, "The only thing I can tell you is that if and when you find that magical guy, it'll turn out nothing like you expected and you will pay a terrible, terrible price for that magical, fantasy adventure.

"But, enough. If and when your voyage of self discovery ends, when you've had enough adventure, you burn out and you think you might want to settle in one place.... Don't bother looking me up. I'll probably still be a loser with no testosterone who's in love with you.

"But done is done. Once a cheater always a cheater, etc., etc. But that's my problem, not yours. Don't give it another thought. Try to fill that glass of yours which, by the way, is almost empty."

Anger suddenly filling his voice again, "But you fucking asshole! You couldn't just break up with me and leave could you? You had to make it all about ME. MY failures. MY inability to live up to YOUR expectations. My balls that are too small. I'm the PROBLEM!

"I'M NOT THE PROBLEM, Kyra, you are! I have feelings, emotions... I like adventure, but my idea of adventure is not going to a new bar, getting drunk, and getting numbers from guys! Fuck!

"So, good-fucking-bye, Kyra. I hope you find everything you're looking for!" She was staring, open mouthed. He'd never spoken to her like that before. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe there was more to Drew. But now, now it was too late.

He stood, grabbed his untouched glass of wine and poured it on her new dress; her fly to LA dress. "Have a nice flight. Maybe it'll crash and help us both out. Oh, and no way do I want YOUR shit on MY dick."

She, and every other patron in the place, just stared. The wait staff hurried over to try and calm things down. He slid his chair back, stood up and stomped out of the restaurant. Opening the back of his SUV, he threw her suitcases on the ground and noted that one popped open and her dresses popped out onto the blacktop.

Hurt filled him. He'd bought her that dress... His normal reaction would have been to pack them back away even though he was pissed, but FUCK HER! He drove off just as the driver of her car was pulling up to the front.

He yelled at himself in the car. What the hell HAD he been thinking? He knew she was probably cheating on him, but he just didn't want to use a tracker to find out and confirm it. Why? How stupid was he?

Then he laughed, "That was pretty weak. I should have thrown the wine in her face like in the movies, not just poured it on her. But I don't have much experience in being pissed off. And, damn, I was pissed. I WAS PISSED! I don't think I've ever been that mad." Interesting feeling.

But was she right? Was he a spineless pussy? Yes, he'd defend her no matter what it cost him, but she was right. He'd just get the shit knocked out of himself and the the bad guy would do whatever he wanted anyway.

Rip her clothes off and fuck her, making it hurt? Nope. Not his idea of fun. Would never happen.

He slammed the steering wheel. Damn! How fucked up was he to stay with her when he knew crap was going on? Why HADN'T he said something or confronted her or 'beat the crap' out of her like she'd suggested?

Well, because that's not who he was. Kyra'd won again. She had managed to just twist his insides all to hell. And his heart, his heart, fucking broken in a million pieces. Hell, at least a million pieces. Well, he was going to need to make some changes as well. But what?

He was a graphics designer and a damn good one. But, no, it probably wasn't listed as one of the top ten most manly vocations. It wasn't quite the same as bull rider or lumberjack, policeman, fireman. But he loved it. The combination of art and business, in order to meet the needs of his clients and make folks happy. Or some crap like that. What could be better? Hell, he sounded like one of the ads he'd created.

Either way, he made a lot of money at it. He'd started making money at it while he was still in art school. His mom was struggling with the tuition at his school and he didn't want a zillion years worth of debt so he sent out samples and proposals to a bunch of agencies and they liked it. By senior year, he was making quite a bundle--more than what he needed for his expenses. Then transitioned right into his own company as he graduated.

One of the things that was so great was that he could do it from anywhere. He was linked to those little satellites up in the sky so he could do work anywhere if he had his receiver and a clear view of the sky. Nothing like putting together his art on a mountain top while the sun went down. Incredible!

But she'd never gone with him on his hikes or outings or rope courses, or anywhere. What the hell had he been thinking? He should have dumped HER!

When he thought about it, a lot of things pissed her off including the fact that he didn't spend every penny he earned, like she did. He didn't need much to live on so he invested or saved big chunks of it. 'You're young, Drew. Spend the money, have fun!'

So what would a man do who's girlfriend had just rip his heart out and crushed his soul? Get in a fight? Didn't sound like fun. Throw all her shit out into the yard at their condo? The HOA would be all over his ass.

Get drunk? He figured that was most common according to all the country songs. But he knew he'd just start barfing, get the dry heaves and spend the night wrapped around the toilet. Gee. That sounded like fun--not.

Maybe she was right. He went home and did the unmanly thing. He laid down on his bed, stuffed a pillow on his face and cried. Spent the whole friggin' night wondering why he even liked her. Unable to shut his mind down. Unable to not think about her touch, her kiss, how they made love.

But he did like her. He loved her. Stupid. In eighteen months she had never said anything about how they made love. She always said it was 'perfect,' 'just the way she liked it.' And she had actually swatted his hand away when he put a finger in her back end. What the hell! Guess she was just sore from one of her cheating episodes. Yup, probably that.

The best defense was a good offense, they say. So he figured that she had to say he was worthless to make herself feel better about shitting on him. Probably the truth, but it didn't make him feel any better. He still felt empty, hollow--something was missing.

At dawn he looked around. Enough! He laughed to himself, "'And he thought and he thought 'til his thinker was sore.' Oh, yeah, and we mustn't forget that 'I shall not permit the past to prevent my enjoyment of the present or control my future.' So what would a real man do today?"

So, manly step number one: Go to Home Depot, buy boxes and load up all her stuff. There really wasn't much as he looked at it. Kinda sad. Clothes, some toiletries she'd left behind... Hell, when he looked at the boxes in his SUV he shook his head. She'd brought almost nothing into the relationship except herself and left with even less.

It was almost like she'd been staying at a hotel or something. Why on earth had she stayed eighteen months? He shook his head, because she got room and board for free, worked nearby, and could party around and get fucked in the ass by a real man whenever she wanted. Because he was too fucking much of a pussy to put a stop to it! SHIT!

Okay, manly step two: Drive to his mom's and tell her the news. She cried, he cried (manly tears), but he could see that she was actually very relieved. And urged him to move on and be happy. "Don't allow the past..." Yeah, sure, okay, Mom. Got it.

But she did get upset, for real, when he said he was going to move and explore a new part of the country. "Don't make any hasty decisions." Like that was something he could do. "But, I'll miss you so much." And he'd miss her too.

Since his dad had died, well, actually disappeared while he was starting high school, and his sister and brother were already in college, it had just been the two of them most of the time. Yup, he would keep her posted. Yes, he would think it through.

Manly step three: Go see Kyra's parents, drop off her stuff, and let them know how things went last night. He hugged her mom, she cried, he got tears, but she, too, seemed relieved that they weren't engaged. 'She has some growing up to do.' 'No, she never discussed any of this with us. We didn't even know she'd gone off.'

Nice girl. Shit on your folks who were just the nicest, salt o' the earth type folks who had given her everything they possibly could. What an ass.

Manly step four: Figure out how not to get the crap beat out of himself if he ever were in a confrontation or had to protect someone. He mulled it over; researched options. Damn! Too many options. Better put a pin in that one until he relocated. Start something there. He was kind of relieved. He wasn't really looking forward to karate, judo, martial arts or whatever.

Manly step five: Start planning. Okay, so that wasn't so manly either, but where? He could work from anywhere, so why stay here in this town he grew up in? The Rocky Mountains were great and he liked skiing or snow boarding. Hell, he liked tubing, hiking, a thousand things.

He'd already climbed the highest peaks in the surrounding states--part of his goal to climb the highest peak in all fifty states. Dammit! Some of those hikes he would call very manly. So if he moved to a new area, he could hit all those states. But where?

He thought about his adventures. His adventures were a hybrid. His life was all thought out, researched and carefully planned, although Kyra had kind of thrown a wrench into that. His art, on the other hand, was all spontaneous and free form.

His adventures were on the carefully planned side, but once he started they were spontaneous and plan free--like his art. He might decide to take a side trail, sit and enjoy the moment for an hour... He was an avid birder (also not on the top ten list of manly hobbies as she had noted) so if he heard a bird, he might go off trail searching for it, hoping to get a glimpse.

He smiled. He remembered spending the morning watching a hummingbird build its nest on a branch just feet away from the condo he was staying in in the Blue Ridge.

Most of those activities were adventurous, right? Hell, you could twist an ankle, break a leg or something--he chuckled to himself--or get poison ivy, a mosquito bite. Or even the dreaded tick bite! But, dammit! They were a lot more adventurous than getting loaded at a new bar and hoping a fight broke out.

But where? What kind of change? The beach! That was kind of the opposite of where he was at. Warm, hot... smiling to himself, and the ladies wore a lot fewer clothes.

Yeah, the beach sounded good. He could just grab some half (or three quarters) naked girl and drag her into the dunes... chuckling, like that could happen... But which beach? He told himself to just get in the car and go, like in the movies. The new, no fucking planning Drew. Just go. Stop when it felt right.

Nope. Not him. Wasn't going to happen. He was a planner. No loose ends. Schedules. Discipline. He was starting to see even more clearly how things with Kyra were doomed. She was like the anti-Drew. He was positive, she was negative. Optimist, pessimist. He was a mix of planning and spontaneous, while she was a hundred percent spontaneous. He was the grasshopper AND the ant, she was the grasshopper.

And when winter hit... well, she wasn't his concern any more.

He was jealous about parts of what she was like, but it just never felt right. Made him uncomfortable. He needed the stable, predictable platform of life so he could create his flights of fancy sometimes for days on end and not worry that the world would crumble around him, didn't he?

Everything in his life was planned, organized--except for his art. He was like two different people. When he had a new project, he did his homework; made himself an expert on the product, person or whatever he was hired for.

And then his mind took off in flights of fancy--formless, shapeless, drifting.... His mind could travel anywhere, any direction, searching, searching for pieces, random ideas, images, feelings. Pieces that could be pulled together into a starting point; looking for unexpected connections between the pieces to meet the needs of the client.

Then suddenly reforming into an idea, a vision, a 'whole' which captured the feeling and pieced all of the information together. Creating that image, an image filled with impact, feeling, emotion--beauty. That's why he loved it so much. His graphics were an anti-Drew as well.

Free form, no planning, just adventures of the mind and his imagination. A psychedelic trip without the drugs. Even when the client had very specific ideas of what they wanted for the ad campaign, product promotion, or graphic book illustrations, he could meet those, but offer some alternatives. Alternatives they usually selected. They were happy. He was happy.

So maybe he had to combine the two. He was afraid to add too much structure to his art. The free form creativity was making him a great living, but, he could add a dose of the free form to his day to day life? Maybe? That's was why he loved his adventures. Creating adventure art outside of the plan.

So, where to? Maine's rugged shores? Girls still wore a lot of clothes there. Florida's sunny beaches? The girls wore next to nothing there it seemed. Maybe too hot. He opted for something in the middle--North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Full bore planning. Location, size, proximity to the Atlantic, proximity to amenities, lease, electric, cable, insurance... all on line or by phone. Then cancel everything here. One by one things were checked off his lists.

He rented a truck and a hitch to pull his 'manly', but midsized SUV--a hybrid. Hired some guys to help him load what he wanted. They mostly just loaded the heavy furniture. He did all the boxes, tv's, computer stuff before they got there, just to prove to himself he was not weak and puny. In retrospect, he should have let them do it, the cost would have been about the same. The rest went to Goodwill.

From small town outside Denver to the east coast beaches? Only 2000 miles or so. At ten miles per gallon in that rental truck, that's 200 gallons at four bucks a gallon. Shit! Probably would have been cheaper to sell everything and start over, but he liked his 'things.'

Four days later he arrived in Nags Head, exhausted. He'd slept in the car because of his zillion dollars worth of computer equipment. Yes, he backed up all of his information every day, actually several times a day. Yes, it could all be replaced, but... well, he was just used to his 'stuff.' The stable base from which to fly.

The Outer Banks had always fascinated him. Barrier islands running along the coast. And just south of Nags Head, the National Seashore and Cape Point, where North Carolina sticks way out into the Atlantic and comes pretty close to the Gulf Stream.

Where the north/south currents meet the east/west currents and battle for leadership, creating chaos on the surface of the seas. And some great fishing--big fish instead of itty bitty trout. Or at least that's what the videos showed.

Winter birding was supposed to be terrific from what he'd read. Migrating birds along the beaches, all sorts of ducks and things floating on the impoundments, pelagic birds a short boat ride off the coast--he could add a lot of check marks to his life list.

There were a lot of stores here and in the adjacent towns, there was a hospital, but the main selling point was high speed cable at a two bedroom condo a block off the beach, much faster than the satellites.

First month's, last month's, damage deposit, credit check, first born child, another night in the car sleeping with his computers and he was ready to move into first floor condo. His first floor condo was actually one floor up since there were fairly frequent floods from storms, so he hired some more guys to carry everything up the stairs as he directed what went where--they carried everything... well, everything except his computer stuff. Then he worked hard to make his new place look livable; to create that stable platform.

Finally, a good night's sleep. But he was now four days behind on his contract work with some big deadlines looming, so he spent the next few days working just about nonstop. He designed some really cool stuff which the clients loved. So maybe the beach would be good for him, or at least it would be once he got a chance to see it, other than glimpses from the highway, since he hadn't made it there yet.

Now that he was caught up... reality hit him like a fifty pound sledge. All the pain, heart ache, emptiness and loss which he had buried, flooded him and he spent most of day five feeling sorry for himself. Days like that made him wish he was a drinker or druggy or something.

But enough was enough. He needed calm. He needed some control. So, he started meditating while sitting on the edge of the nearby sand dune where he could hear and see the ocean. Half hour in the morning, half hour at night. On the beach if weather permitted, but every time he heard a bird or an unexpected sound, he'd crack an eye open to check it out. It was March, so it could get nasty, but no tourists to speak of. Birds had headed north, birders had all gone home.

So much for calming his mind. Now his body... Despite what Kyra seemed to think, he actually was in pretty good shape, but not a football build. Six two, 180. Tall and slender. He laughed, some would say skinny--a lot of folks would say skinny. But he thought he was alright looking, his clothes fit well, and he got some looks from the women he passed... or at least he thought he did. Maybe he was just imagining it.

He laughed to himself. His mom always said he was good looking... and no mom would ever lie right? He laughed again, but, of course, his sister always told him how ugly he was... and she was always brutally honest with him. Well, didn't matter. He was what he was. And, really, he was alright with that.

He tried running on the beach like in the movies, but the sand was too loose and he got bogged down. So he ran on the streets, joined a gym so he could 'pump' iron and bulk up. Hated it. The machines weren't as bad so he stuck with those. No bulk appeared--even with creatine and supplements. Oh, well.

But then he noticed a mixed martial arts studio. Well, that's kinda manly. No, very manly. He could defend himself and anyone he was with. Great exercise, flexibility, balance, a new skill. And after a month... no friggin' way! He knew it was not for him.

He didn't want to fight. He wanted to avoid conflict and confrontation. Kyra was right about that. He'd rather run than have the crap beat out of himself. There must be a better way, smiling to himself, other than trying to out run your assailant.

He saw a gun training course, took it and loved it. Lots of time on the range, trying a variety of pistols and eventually bought one; more courses and a concealed carry permit. He hoped he would never need it--put the pistol in a drawer and never took it out of his drawer again.

He realized that he was happy with who and what he was. His looks were fine, his body was fine, he had a number of friends and acquaintances so his personality must be okay and business was getting even busier. He figured he must be good at graphic designs, too.

Then the light bulb when on; he saw the text box over his head; and laughed. "I'm not the problem! She's the fucking problem! What was that book they talked about in his psychology course. Transactional Analysis. That was it!

He laughed, mind like a steel trap, although it was pretty rusty when it came to school stuff. It was 'I'm okay, you're okay,' but when it came to Kyra it was, 'I'm okay, you're not okay.' He was sure he was using those terms incorrectly, but they seemed to fit. He could become a better version of himself--all people could--but he didn't have to change who or what he was!

A huge load was taken off his mind with his acceptance of self. But it was replaced by another. He was busy, maybe too busy, so he force himself to take time to walk the beach, explore the many things in the area, learn to surf, fish from the beach, fish from a boat, and hike the tallest peaks. North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia--each month or so he tried to do another one. Not like the peaks in the Rockies, but lots of fun and some were pretty challenging.

Enjoy today! Don't plan for a tomorrow that might not come.

A year went by, eighteen months, two years. He liked to build relationships with the folks that hired him so he would fly to where they were at, discuss what they were looking for and get a feel for the company, corporation, organization, or even the individual he was going to promote. Perhaps his favorite was creating illustrations for books, so spending time with the author and publisher was very important.

But wherever he went, he set aside additional time to explore the area, go birding, and if possible, knock off another peak. He loved it, life was clicking by, but no one had taken Kyra's place. A piece was missing from his life; a space reserved for another person.

He made several visits to Nevada each year. He had a number of clients out there and he always stayed at the same place. Not really his kind of place--gambling, strippers, women for the evening, or night--but the place was owned by his good friend, Carl Walford. It wasn't Carl's kind of place either. He'd been in school with Drew, but his dad got sick, family was important, so he dropped out and took over the family business.

A shame, Drew thought, a hell of an artist, but his whole family worked there in one way or another, but Carl did all the heavy lifting--way too much of the heavy lifting. The rest kind of just drew salaries it seemed. Carl had given up what he loved to do what he had to. Drew could understand--family, duty, obligation, 'the right thing.' He'd have done the same.

His mind was in free spool as he nibbled on his lunch and then glanced at the woman taking off her clothes up on the stage. Kyra! He was sure it was Kyra. The way she moved, her hand motions as she crawled along the stage and men threw money her way for an extra peek or a little stroke. Still beautiful, but aging. The last two years must not have been everything she dreamed of, but what were the odds...

"Drew? DREW!"

"Oh, hi, Ruby. I was just kind of daydreaming, you know, trying to get some inspiration for my art."

"Yeah, sure. By boring holes into that girl up there."

He laughed. "That obvious, was it? I was just admiring her technique. Purely professional, you know.

"Uh, huh."

"No, she just kind of looked like someone I used to know."

"Sure, uh huh. Like I never heard that one before."

"So, what can I do for you?"

She put a stapled stack of paper in his hand. "I was wondering if you'd proofread this paper of mine. It's on Buber for philosophy of religion."

Laughing, "Oh, yeah, Buber."

"Drew, Drew, Drew. All I want you to do is proof read it. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, flow, the proper construction--you know, all that stuff you've helped me learn. And maybe you'll actually learn something."

"When..."

"No, it's not due in two hours. It's not due for a week. So see, I didn't wait until the last minute, and, yes, I used an outline and those stupid index cards and all the rest of the stuff you taught me on your previous visits."

He laughed, "Well, at least someone listens to me. But, Ruby, your papers and things are so much better. There's hardly anything for me to mark up. They're a joy to read. Tell you what, I'll do it this afternoon and then you could swing by my room this evening and we'll go over it. Okay?"

"Perfect. I get off at six. Is that okay?" He nodded. She hugged him where he sat. "Thanks, Drew. I really appreciate all the help you've given me. I cannot thank you enough. See you around six. Give me numbers... give me spread sheets, organizing, staffing, customer satisfaction... This stuff and writing papers... ugh."

A few moments later, "So, you're helping Ruby again? You can't imagine how much better she's doing from all your coaching. She was really struggling, but she's now an A/B, mostly A kind of student."

"Candy, it's great to see you. I'm always happy to help, but I went to art school not a regular university, so I didn't take all the same courses she did. I did take a number of business courses so I can maybe help you both a little better with that stuff. So what's up? You look pretty frazzled; something wrong?"

"This must be grab ass, no tip Wednesday or something. I've had so many hands on my butt today... but that's not it. I need help."

"You mean like money or something?"

"No. Absolutely not. No, I need some counseling from a smart, successful guy such as yourself. I think I hate business. No, I do hate business, but my folks always just assumed I would join the family business... and I never questioned it. But, Drew, I can't imagine doing this crap the rest of my life.

"I have no idea what I'm good at or what kind of field I might maybe like better. And... and it probably sounds stupid, but I hate it out here. I like green, trees, forests, water. The desert is so dead looking to me. The only green is man made around the businesses. I don't know, I just want to talk a bit. Can we do that?"

"Sure. Ruby's coming at six, we have time after that or we can pick another day..."

"Tonight, seven. And I promise not to keep you up too late."

"Great, Candy. I have some ideas..."

"I'll bet you do."

He laughed, "Uh, Candy? Who's that girl up on the stage?"

Looking wickedly at him, but felt a twinge of jealousy. She told herself to knock it off. All they'd ever done was talk, if only... "Why, Drew Hodges. I'm surprised. You want to meet her or something?"

He laughed. "No. She just looks like someone I... well, I used to know. That's all."

She watched his face. Something not good there. Was she the source of his pain? Was she the reason he never dated anyone? Even her. Damn, she wished she could get up the nerve to just ask him out... but if he said no? He seemed to like her; always smiled and seemed glad to see her..."Oh, that's Kyra. She's new. Just here a month...2 months? I don't know. She's in the dormitories."

"The dormitories?"

A sad look filled her face. "Yeah, most of the girls in the dormitories owe Carl, uh, or somebody, money. Usually a whole lot of money. He usually finds a job for them and they stay there while they pay off their debt--which is so nice. And, uh, well," lowering her voice, "most of them spend time in the rooms upstairs."

"You mean they're prostitutes?" Incredulously, "Carl forces them to turn tricks to pay off their debt?"

She laughed, a beautiful heartfelt laugh, "NO! Carl? No way! They get to stay in the dorms for free so they don't have rent and stuff and they are given the OPTION of earning extra money that way. It's strictly voluntary... and it's a misdemeanor here so officially, he knows nothing about it and it's handled sort of by the girls."

Whispering, "But I think most of them like doing it. I don't know. I can't imagine having strange hands all over me. Heck, it's bad enough getting my butt patted all day. I think Kyra's been pretty busy, but that's just my impression, so I may be way off base."

"Thanks. See you at seven. Be ready to unlock the secrets of your universe."

She burst out laughing and looked deeply at him. "Drew, I swear you crack me up. I'll be ready. The heck with the secrets, I just hope we can find my place in that universe. At least a planet or an asteroid or something..."

Dang. If he would just ask her out once she'd be able to show him what a great catch she'd be. She knew she could make him happy, just as he made her more joyful every moment she was with him

"Oh, we shall. We shall. You'll be amazed. I'm going to shove off so I can get some work done and read this paper."

"Sure. Can I get you some coffee or another soda before you go?" He shook his head. She gave him a long look, "Drew, I am always amazed how you start throwing pieces together up on that screen and make something so beautiful, meaningful, or impactful. Maybe you can help me do that with my life. See you later."

Drew took one last look at her. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful, inside and out. He should ask her out or just for coffee, or... or dinner. There was just something about her, heck, she was one of the reasons he came here so often, but she must have a boyfriend or something and he didn't want to jeopardize their friendship. Maybe a hike or something... But was he ready? On the one hand he felt something important was missing from his life, but on the other, he worried about a Kyra repeat.

Kyra. What the hell had she done with herself to end up a stripper whore in Vegas? Despite what she'd done to him he was saddened. He took a last look at her then shook his head sadly as he walked to the elevator.

An hour later, Candy was picking up some plates and glasses when she felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned, expecting another proposition, but it was the woman from the stage. "Hello. I'm Kyra."

"Hi, Kyra. Candy. Great job on the stage."

"Thanks. Uh, could I ask you who that guy was you were talking to over at that table?"

"Drew Hodges. He asked about you too. Wanted to know your name. Said you looked like someone he used to know. He's great. The kindest, smartest, funniest guy I've met in a long time. And keeps his hands to himself. Quite a hunk, don't you think?"

"Uh, yeah. But, like, all he does is work, right. No gambling, drinking, ladies, partying ... no adventure, right?"

Shocked, "No adventure? Drew is like Mr. Adventure. I asked him last year what he liked to do when he wasn't working and crap! I was sure he was lying until he started showing me pictures.

"He said in the last few years, he's bungee jumped off a bridge in West Virginia, snow boarding, wake boarding. He's climbed to the highest point in a bunch of the states, hiked parts of the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails. So many amazing adventures. He's incredible. His arm! His arm has all these white spots where I python bit him when he was catching snakes in the Everglades!"

"Yeah, but he never parties! Get's drunk! Goes crazy!"

"No. But if he did I, well all of us, would be shocked out of our minds! That's just not Drew; or at least doesn't seem like the Drew we all know, but, of course, we only see him a few times a year and only a few days at a time so... But why would you want a guy like that?" Shaking her head like she couldn't imagine the scenario, "Anyway, he helps us a lot, Kyra. Ruby and I are going to his room tonight."

"So you and Drew..."

"Heaven's no. Strictly hands off, friends. Although, I think every woman here, including myself would flop on our backs and do everything we could to make him happy if he asked us out or something. But he never does. There's something... well, something bad must have happened to him. He never talks about it though."

Tears formed in Kyra's eyes. "That bad thing was me, Candy. He was going to ask me to marry him, but I couldn't understand, didn't see the wonderful thing I had." Recovering, "But it's for the best. I hurt him; said terrible things to him, did terrible things to him; but I probably would have destroyed him if I'd stayed."

She teared up again, "I need to apologize to him. Lord, how I need to apologize to him. I have to let him know how sorry I am. I... I just feel so guilty about what I did..."

"Saying you're sorry is always a good start. We're going to see him tonight. Maybe that'd be a good time?"

"Can't. Working. Maybe tomorrow. I... I've got to go. See you, uh, Candy was it?"

She nodded. Both of their heads filled with questions as they walked away from each other. Drew and Kyra? Candy just couldn't get a handle on that. Marriage?

At the same time, Drew had walked over to see Carl. "Hey, Carl, how're you doing?"

"Wonderful as always. What's up?"

"Tell me about the girls in the dormitory."

Carl shook his head sadly, "Not much to say. A collection of drifting women, down on their luck who managed to rack up a huge debt to the club or to some of the baddies in town.

"They get to stay for free, I mean, my dad doesn't like that I do it, but the rooms are just sitting there and you know, it's not like it changes our standard of living. The rooms aren't much, just like a college dorm room, but then I find them a job or let them stay while they work somewhere else and garnish their wages some to pay back the club."

"But some of them service the men in the hotel too, right?"

"Yeah, but it's voluntary. You know it's illegal in the county, a misdemeanor, so I stay out of it. It's sort of an informal arrangement. Voluntary, but the money's good so a lot of them do it. They get out debt a lot quicker and on their way. Most of them seem like they're used to hookups and one nighters anyway--this way they get paid for it."

"What about Kyra?"

"She's beautiful, right? Excellent choice and, not that I know," winking, "but she is available if you want." Winking again, "And I've gotten some great feedback. So do you..."

"No. No. I knew her a few years ago and would like to help her. How much does she owe you?"

"Well, she started with well over twenty grand. Stayed at the hotel, drank, partied, gambled--charged it all to her room. Can't believe the morons I have working for me let her get so over extended. We had a real come to Jesus discussion about it. Anyway, she's been in the dorm for a while and is down to ten, twelve, maybe... somewhere in there. She's a busy girl. Shit load of tips when she dances and in the rooms a lot."

Drew shook his head. Can't beat that for adventure can you, Kyra. Nothing more adventuresome than being a whore. Despite their past, he was filled with sadness for her. Another wasted life. So, why did he keep thinking about her? Why was her memory always sitting right there in his head?

"So, what if I pay you the twelve or whatever and you tell her the debt's been paid off, but wait until tomorrow? And don't tell her I did it. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Portland--a couple of clients to visit. But more importantly... I'll be taking a shot at Mt. Hood. It's a toughie."

Carl laughed. "You're not well, Drew. You and your friggin' mountains! Well, good luck. Have to confess I'm kinda jealous, but," laughing again, "I'm so damned out of shape, I'd make it a mile or so and call 911 or something."

Drew laughed. "I'm worried about you, Carl. You're working yourself to death. You need to take some time for your art--you create such incredible stuff--and take time for yourself. You know, that whole balance thing? If you do this for the next twenty, thirty years... what are you going to have to show for it?

"Make your brothers and sister step up and do more. They shouldn't just share in the profits. Hell, make your dad go back to work or sell the damn place. Is this really the kind of place you want to work at?"

"You're right, Drew, as always. I... well, you're right. I stepped up, when Dad got sick, but none of the others did and there's no end date. And, no, I hate it here and hate everything that goes on here. I feel dirty all the time, slimy." Laughing, "Just a den of iniquity!"

Shaking his head, "Anyway... Thank you, I'll think about it and I'll let Kyra know tomorrow. Don't be a stranger," laughing, "and I'll be watching the Portland news looking for climbing accidents. But, as we say, 'Good luck on your endeavor.'"

They both laughed and shook hands.

At six, Ruby knocked on his door and he welcomed her in. "Ruby, I have to tell you, you've done a great job on this paper." She beamed at his praise. "I have a couple of ideas to consider for the introduction, but the flow, the evidence, the progression, the summary and conclusion were terrific. And... almost no clerical or grammatical errors that I, at least, could find. 'You have come far, Pilgrim.'

"Another ancient movie quote?"

He chuckled and nodded, "In any event, you should be very proud of yourself, I mean, I sure as heck am proud of you."

She stepped forward and hugged him, "Thank you, Drew. If you only knew how much that meant to me. There's no way I would have been able to do any of this without your help. Thank you."

"So how's school coming for you, Ruby?"

"Pretty good. I go year round so I'm kind of a senior, I guess--wrapping up the last few courses for hotel management and hospitality."

"I have an idea. I just talked to Carl. He's swamped and needs help. Would you consider stepping in as like an intern or something? You'd be getting on the job training, he'd be getting a little relief and he's an artist, not a business, management, kind of guy. You can probably streamline a bunch of things and get things humming. Thoughts?"

"God, I would love it. And work with Carl? Terrific! But, I need to make some money. I mean, I have books, tuition, food, you know, I'm on my own, so..."

"Got it. Tell you what. If you will wait here and let Candy in when she comes, I'll go talk to Carl right now. I'm sure he's still in his office.

Forty-five minutes later he returned. "Hi, Candy, be right with you. Soooo, Ruby. Carl wants to sit down with you right now, if you have time, and discuss your future at the club. He's been very impressed with what a good worker you are, agrees he needs the help and figures he could probably match your hostess salary."

She let out a squeal of joy, stepped forward and gave Drew a peck on the lips and a hug. "Drew, I... I just don't know what to say or how to thank you. I just can't believe..." She teared up and wiped them away with her sleeve.

"Oh, Drew, thank you. I will work so hard at it, you'll be proud of me and I'll be indispensable to Carl. I better go. Oh, Drew, thank you." She hugged him again.

"I'm just glad I could do something to help."

She ran out of the room. The door opened again, "And thanks for looking at my paper."

"Drew, that was the nicest thing to do! You've changed her life with one little act. Dang, I have to hug you too." She hugged him--close. It felt good, natural... right. She should ask him. Do it Taylor! But she didn't. He was older, so successful, she was just a college kid....

Drew's face was red and he stared at her, "I... well, Candy, what's going on with you?"

"I hate business. I've done three years of it and I hate it. My folks always figured I would get a business degree then join the family business or, rather, businesses..."

"Like Carl."

"Yup, like Carl. But the courses are no fun and I can't imagine doing it the rest of my life."

"So what would you rather do?"

"That's the problem. I have no idea what I'm good at or what kinds of things I would like to do. I just don't know where to start."

"A lot of folks struggle with that. Ever take one of those personality tests that can outline your likes, dislikes, and occupations that might line up with those? Or an aptitude test?"

"Nope. Never heard of those."

"So, why don't we sit down and spend a few hours and you take a couple of the best aptitude tests and personality tests. There's a fee for the good ones, my treat, but they're a lot more thorough and will give you more details than the freebies. And they will also give you a list of careers or occupations that other folks, similar to you, have selected. Sound good?"

"Yeah, but it's kind of scary. I mean, what if I don't like the 'me' or what they're recommending?"

"Remember, they're just recommendations. And we'll discuss the results, okay?" She nodded. Opening his computer, he searched, found the first, paid the fee and slid it over to her.

"There you go. Be as honest as you can. Try not to think about the answer too much or answer the way you think you should. First impressions are best. Don't over think it. Answer what you feel, not what you think you should, okay? And you'll notice that they have multiple questions kind of asking the same thing in a different way." Smiling, "So they'll catch you if you're not telling the truth."

"Drew, I would never lie on something like this."

"I know. Just kidding. But sometimes you don't realize you're fibbing a little. So, while you have fun, I'll do some of my work. Didn't get much done today so far. When you finish it, print the results and then I'll get you going on the next one. If the results are a lot different, then we'll do a third."

"Dang, Drew, you're going to know everything there is to know about me!"

"Well, that's not a bad thing, is it?" She looked closely at Drew. What had he meant by that? She thought Drew was incredible in so many ways and loved to sit and talk with him when he visited. He made her laugh all the time. Was there more? Could there be more? She'd welcome the opportunity, she wanted there to be, that was for sure, but...

Two and a half hours later, "Okay, Drew. Finished number two and printed it. I... I was afraid to look at the results. This was tougher than i thought."

Drew took them from the printer, stapled the different reports separately and quickly reviewed them. "I don't blame you for not checking the results. They both say you're shallow, narcissistic, hate kids and dogs... and should go into business with your folks."

Shock filled her face, "Really? NO! You're full of crap, Drew! What do they say? Really?" He started laughing.

"Actually, I think you would agree with the results and they're pretty similar."

She took them, wrinkled her brow and reviewed them carefully, "Yeah, I guess..."

"And the job profiles are just about the same... policeman, jet pilot, boxer, butcher, baker, or candlestick maker."

"God, you're hopeless, Drew." Taking them from him. "Anything would be better than business... these might all be good. Social work, therapist or counselor, nurse (no way), physical therapist (iffy)... It says especially with kids.

"And look! Both have teacher or special education teacher near the top! I think I'd really like teaching and helping kids with or without learning or physical issues... By Jove!" laughing, "Maybe that's the answer. I'll have to look into it, like before the next semester starts."

She turned and suddenly hugged Drew. "Thank you, Drew. Thank you for caring enough to help. I really appreciate it. It's not something I can really discuss with my folks or family." She held on, longer than before, longer than necessary--nice-- felt just right. He held her too, in no hurry to release her.

Releasing she looked at his face again, then recovering, "Uh, thanks again, Drew. I've taken up a bunch of your time. I... well, have a safe trip. I hope you come back soon for a visit. I, uh, I really enjoy talking to you." She got up to leave and he caught her arm.

"So, Candy. I have... well, I have a proposition for you. And feel free to say no," she looked at him suspiciously, "and no," seeing her face, "No! It's not like asking you to do, uh, dormitory stuff." She kept eyeing him.

"Didn't you say you hated this place, wanted to see green trees and forests, and were only here because you needed to get away from home and then you got, 'stuck?'"

Suspiciously, "Yes."

"Okay, look. I live at the beach and I'm moving to the mountains in North Carolina. Being two hours from the airport is the pits and... well, I think I'm ready for a change. The movers are supposed to come in a little over two weeks and I... well, right now I'm in a condo so they were going to pack it all up and move it, take my car, you know, all that stuff.

"And..."

"Drew, just say it, all this hemming and hawing is very un-Drew like."

"Okay. I would like to have you, no, I would like to hire you to oversee the move and then put my stuff away at my new place. I'd give you a floor plan and you could maybe label the boxes so they know where to put them so, uh, that would make it easier on you.

"And move my plants, fish, and computer stuff in your car--not sure I trust the movers with those things. Do a final cleanup on the condo, turn in my keys, and then live in the house until I get there.

"I was supposed to leave tomorrow, finish some work in Portland and then head for home, but this corporation in Ireland wants me to fly there and do a bunch of stuff and then back to Washington... So anyway, I won't be there for a month."

Drawing it out, "So?"

"So, I will pay you what you're making now including tips. But it'll be cash."

"So, I'll be rich!"

Laughing. He loved the way joy, happiness and humor bubbled up out of her. She was so alive! Even when she was overwhelmed, she maintained her positive spirit. "Well, not exactly rich, but it will be a bump for sure. I will give you a charge card to pay for gas, lodging, food and anything else you need.

"And then you can live in the house, rent free, I'll pay for the food," smiling, "I just hope you don't weigh like 350 pounds by the time I get back," she frowned at him, "and continue to take care of the plants and fish.

"Oh, and I've already scheduled propane, electric, cable... it's on a well. And if you need anything for the house..."

"Charge it?"

Laughing, "Yes, charge it."

"Where would I sleep?"

Turning a little red, "Uh, you could sleep in my bed... or set up one of the other bedrooms. And..."

"Charge it?"

"Yes. But another consideration is the University is not far away, well, there are actually two. Both very nice places, and they both offer a teaching degree and then the one has a master's program in special education, I think. You know, if that's what you want to do. You have all your distribution requirements and a lot of hours, right? So you could probably focus on the teaching.

"But... look, I'm sorry. I hate to just dump this on you. But the Irish thing just came up..."

"Why me?"

"Because I've seen your personality profile."

"Drew! Dammit." Smiling, "I knew it was a trick!"

"No, not a trick. I didn't need the tests to know enough about you. Oh, and the other reason is because my mom is too old and way too feeble to do it." Taylor saw a little smirk and a secret smile when he said that. What was up with that? "And I... well, I don't really have anyone else to ask. I mean, my sister is married with kids and what not. My brother's in Europe."

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, I'll do it. Send me or give me all the details, uh, and your condo key and stuff. I can finish the semester online and... heck, I can probably pack up and leave tomorrow. I don't have much. I'll tell Carl you poached me and hired me away."

Drew laughed. "Please do. I think he'll be pleased."

He stepped forward and hugged her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was really in a pinch." She held on. Better than good, he felt just right. Maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something good? She was over due.

"Oh! But I have one condition." He laughed.

"And what might that be?"

"You need to call me by my real name. Taylor. Taylor Richards."

"Deal."

Five days, 2600 miles later, she was in Nags Head and walked into Drew's condo in the late afternoon. Eight hours of driving under her belt to complete her odyssey. She climbed the steps to the front door, left the door open so she could start carrying in her stuff, but decided to take a look around first. Nice, very Drew like, but it looks like someone was living in the guest bedroom. Drew never said...

"FREEZE! Don't move a muscle or I'll pepper spray you until you turn colors." Taylor froze, put her arms up and stood. "Now slowly turn around. Who the hell are you?"

Turning slowly, arms still raised. She saw a later middle aged woman. Well dressed, in casual clothes. Shorts, since it was still warm at the beach, nice top. "Uh, I'm Taylor, Ma'am. Drew's friend? He hired me to get things ready for the move. I have a key..." She put her arms down long enough to rummage through every pocket. No key. Then put her arms back in the air.

"It's on the table, Taylor."

"Oh, yeah."

"So why would he hire you?"

Hands still raised, in almost a whisper like she was sharing a secret, "Because his mom is too old and way too feeble to do it."

The woman laughed. "Drew said that, did he?" She pulled out her phone and voiced the text out loud as she typed it. "Taylor's here. What the hell do you mean I'm too old and feeble?" She knew Drew would get a kick out of that.

She looked up and Taylor, still holding her arms up had a look of horror on her face. "Mrs. Hodges, I am so sorry. I..."

Laughing, "It's fine, dear. I'm sure Drew is getting a kick out of his little stunt wherever he is."

"Ireland."

"Interesting. Oh, for God's sake, Taylor. Put your arms down."

"Drew lives with his Mom?"

Laughing again. "Well, nowadays, lots of kids live with their folks until they're in their thirties."

"Uh, sure. I guess I just never pictured Drew. I'm sorry... again. I guess I keep putting my foot in my mouth. He just... I don't know, he just seems so self-sufficient and independent... And, I guess, there's no way I could live with my family. I mean, I love them and everything, but..."

Maggie grinned, "This is kind of the reverse. No actually, I came for a visit and then he took off to go gallivanting around the globe and he asked me to help out. But I enjoy being around Drew; when he's here. You may have noticed, he's a lot of fun."

"Yeah, he is. He was pretty quiet and sad for a while, but seems better now."

Maggie sighed. "Yup, he does still get kind of hung up. Gone, but not forgotten I'm afraid." Taylor groaned inwardly. Kyra. "So, let's go out to the kitchen and get some coffee. You look like you need it. A lot of driving today?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Eight hours."

"So, you look like you need a break. Let's get you that coffee or whatever you want and then, even though I'm old and feeble, I'll give you a hand carrying your stuff up. Oh, I'm Maggie by the way."

Sitting down to their coffee, Taylor smiled to herself, and now for the maternal interrogation session. "So how do you know Drew?"

"From the club in Las Vegas."

Maggie looked concerned, "So a dancer? Or..."

"Oh, no, Maggie! Waitress. I only served food." Laughing. "I was not on the menu. That place is awful. I hated it, but it paid really well, more than I could make in retail or anywhere else, and I could work in the evenings or weekends and go to school... you know."

"I see. So you and Drew are..."

"No, Ma'am. Just friends. Well, he's helped me a lot. But he's helped a lot of the other ladies too. He's so nice..." She drifted off a little, "Oh, sorry."

Maggie looked at her knowingly, "I see. So he spends his evenings with some of the other, errr, ladies, there?

"No! I've known him for... three years maybe? I met him when I started school and started working at Carl's. And he's never! Well, at least not there."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, he's so sweet and has helped so many of us one way or another...

"With money?"

"No! No money. He helped Ruby with school work, Betsy with personal finances, me with figuring out what I should be studying since I hate business... You know, he's kind of been the older brother, counselor, or something. He's so easy to talk to and...

"Anyway, uh, well there are many ladies who would be happy to provide room service, kinda on the house, you know. Heck, any one of them would have gone out with him." Whispering again, "Even some of the married ones.

"But never happened. If he ever did go out with someone or... spent the evening with one, we'd all know about it first thing the next morning." Laughing, "It'd be front page news."

"And what about you, Taylor?"

She blushed. "Uh... well, Drew is a wonderful man and, uh... I thought Drew was a special guy from the first time I met him... I would welcome it if he were 'interested' in me? You know, but just spending the night together? That's not for me. I would need a lot more than that. But that's just a dream. I mean he's so smart, so talented, so handsome..."

Maggie smiled, both on her face and inwardly, "And you're the only girl he has ever mentioned; from any of his trips."

"Really?" She nodded. Taylor felt excited. Maybe, just maybe...

"He... well, he sits at a table in the back while the girls are dancing just doing his work. He glances up once in awhile, but never seems interested. He acts like he's been really burned or something."

"Kyra." Maggie laid it out there like no further explanation was needed.

"Kyra Montgomery?"

"Yes. You know her?"

"Yeah. She was a dancer, uh, and she went to the rooms too to provide her services, if you know what I mean. I brought Drew a soft drink and he asked me who she was while she was dancing. He kind of winced, but didn't say anything else.

"Later on, Kyra snagged me and asked about him. She said his sadness was all her fault, that she'd hurt him, but would have done much worse if she had stayed. I didn't get any details, really, other than she was really sorry for what she'd done. She was going to stop by and apologize, but had to, uh, work.

"I was at his room until late..."

"Really?"

Smiling, "No, Maggie, not like that. He had me take a bunch of aptitude and personality tests to find out what kind of career I should work towards. My folks have always groomed me to join the family business; like there was no other option for me, but I hated the business courses. Oh, how I hated the business courses. I did fine in them, but not my cup of tea if you know what I mean. I feel like I wasted so much time--three years.

"So, now it looks like I'm headed towards teaching and maybe special ed. We'll see. I don't want to be in school forever... and I have to work... In any event, we need to get my stuff up here. Looks like you're in the second bedroom, so I guess I get the couch. Which is fine, of course."

"No. You need to sleep in Drew's room."

"Oh, I couldn't. I mean..."

"Look, Taylor, he's not coming back here before the move so it's just sitting there. I insist.

Smiling, "Okay, if you insist. But then we have to get organized and get crackin' on the packin'.'"

Maggie laughed as she continued, "They're coming in like a week and we need to pack, label the boxes for where they're going. And, dang, that computer stuff... we're going to have to label all the wires and where they go so I can hook it all up again when we get to the new place. Take a bunch of pictures. And his fish..."

"Easy, Taylor. We have plenty of time."

"I guess you're right. Maggie, we can work it any way you'd like, but maybe you could head out when the movers leave or maybe a little before and be at the new place when they get there. It's not too far, right? Five or so hours?"

"More like seven or eight. We're stuck way out in the Atlantic."

"Oh, guess I need to look at some stuff on line. Anyway, even an old, feeble woman like yourself should be able to do it, right?"

Maggie laughed and swatted her hand. "And I'll stay, do the deep clean up, turn in the keys, and all that."

"Sure, whatever, but let's sit at the table for a bit and maybe you can fill me in on what that rascally son of mine has been doing in Sin City. He never tells me anything. Then we can get some boxes and get crackin' on that packin'. How's that sound?"

Taylor smiled, round two of the 'the Mother Interrogation' was coming. Oh, well, she should have expected it. "Wonderful, Ma'am."

Maggie looked at her face and laughed. "You knew it was coming didn't you?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I would have expected no less. My mom would have done the same." They both started laughing. "So should I start or do you have a preferred methodology. I swear, my mom was like a prosecuting attorney if I brought one of my dates home." They both laughed.

"I'm twenty-two, from Gulfport, Mississippi. I'm a junior, a business major, but hate it and will be working on a teaching degree, uh, hopefully at the local college or the university... or online if I have to.

"My dad owns a number of retail stores. Very successful. My mother, oldest brother and sister all worked there, but then my sister got married and moved. My other brother, Tyler, is in the military. He's real hush, hush about what he does and where he is. I fret about him all the time.

"I'm the youngest, but it was sort of two, then a break, and then Tyler and I, but even he's about four years older. We've always been very close. I was the baby, kind of an afterthought, uh, or something.

"My family is weird, though. My older brother and sister were so much older... Almost like another set of parents. Ugh! Like a different generation or something. Well, my sister wasn't so bad, but my brother... I swear, he was born old.

"Anyway, my folks'll be really ticked when I don't stay in business. They're ticked that I didn't go to Ole Miss. I haven't told them yet, but I guess it won't be any worse than how crazy they went when Tyler signed up for the army right out of high school."

Taylor started, but before long the two women were just talking--sharing stories, life, remembrances--and bonding. The conversation flowed like they'd known each other for ages. Noticing suddenly that the shadows were lengthening in the living room, she glanced at her phone.

"Oh, crap, Maggie! It's been four hours! I need to get my stuff in here." She looked embarrassed. "I really don't have that much. I... well, I just lived in a tiny place and..."

"And since you didn't go to school in Mississippi, you were on your own. No parental support."

"No, Ma'am."

"I don't get it. No help at all, but they still expect you to rush home after graduation and join the business, right?"

"Yup."

"All I wanted from mine was for them to be happy. Especially after their father... well, their father just sort of up and left when they were pretty young."

"Oh! Drew said he was gone, I kind of figured he was dead."

"Well, I guess we kind of acted like he died, you know, because he disappeared completely and it was easier."

"Maggie. That must have been so hard. I mean working, the kids..."

"Yeah, but it all worked out. We had enough. Let's go get your stuff. Then you look like you need something to eat, a shower, then into bed pretty early so we can get organized. Crackin' on that packin'." They both laughed, but then Taylor looked embarrassed.

"Maggie, I have to tell you that my brother made up that saying and he was kind of being dirty. He... well he meant packing..."

"Packing a different kind of box?" And laughed again. "Boys! I swear. I assume that no good son of mine gave you some money for the trip?" Taylor nodded.

"Good. You can treat me to dinner at a place down the street after we unload. He owes me for calling me old and feeble. Let's go, you look shot. I'll drive." Maggie looked at Taylor once again. A remarkable young woman who had her head on straight; who had passed every bit of the maternal sniff test and she'd pressed really hard.

No signs of dark clouds, evil deeds, grief, or regrets like her son carried with him. Those clouds were well hidden, but always kind of there, just out of sight. But, Taylor... Taylor was filled with joy, laughter, enthusiasm--life. She lit the world around her. You had to like her--no choice--and Maggie did. And, on top of it all, she was just cute as a button.

She was just the girl for Drew and it was clear, although nothing was said, that she had strong feelings for her son. Maggie couldn't wait to see the two of them together.

Maggie awoke to the smell of coffee and the sound of the printer in Drew's room making copies. Then walked into the bathroom and noted a number of the drawers were pulled out and had sticky notes on them. The storage closet door was open with a sticky note and a number on it. Nothing out of place--just open.

Finishing in the bathroom she went towards the kitchen and noted every drawer and every cabinet had been opened and a post-it note with letters and a number placed on each. Turning, she watched as Taylor, with a tape measure, her phone and a pad measured and took a photo of one of the chairs in the living room.

"Taylor. What on earth are you doing?"

Taylor looked around and noted the mess she'd made. "Oh, Maggie, I am so sorry. I... well, I was leaving the drawers open so I could make sure I got each one."

Looking skeptically at her, "Okay, but what's with all the numbers and things?"

"Maybe I'm way off base, but my impression, I mean I've known Drew for three years or there about, but we only talk for a few minutes at a time, and only a few times a year, but my impression is that he wants a very orderly universe. That he wants things the way he has them so he doesn't have to think about it."

"Well, you certainly have him pegged."

"So, anyway, I photographed and noted every drawer, cabinet and that stuff so when we move his stuff, we can set it up the same way. I downloaded a copy of the floor plan and put it on graph paper so I can make cutouts of the couch, chairs and things and we can figure out how to arrange his new house before we get there.

"So, that cabinet will be KC1--kitchen cabinet one-- and I'm going to go tomorrow to the new house, or we can go, you haven't seen it yet, right? And then I have a label maker to label KC1 in the new house. The kitchen is laid out differently and the rooms are different, so we'll have to ad lib some, but the box for here, for example will have a big label saying kitchen so the movers know where to drop it, then a smaller one for KC1.

"I'd like to label this couch and then put an index card on the floor where we want it. We may end up changing everything, but at least we can have the moving men get it close. I just want it to be right for Drew... and not screw it up. And... take advantage of the moving men who have all the muscle."

Taylor flushed, "Okay. So you're looking at me like I'm nuts, uh, and you're probably right. I'm sorry, Maggie. I should have let you tell me how you wanted to do it. I'm, I guess I'm overstepping." Maggie continued to look at her. "Er, Maggie? Say something, will you?"

"That's an..." Maggie nearly doubled over in laughter.

Taylor looked hurt. "Maggie? I'm sorry. So sorry. I guess..."

Maggie stepped forward and hugged her. "No, Taylor. It's incredible. Damn, even Drew wouldn't have been this organized." She stepped back, but kept her hands on her shoulder, "You're 100% right, though, he likes things just exactly so, so he doesn't have to think about it and can spend days all cooped up in his room or scurry off to who knows where. Nothing to be sorry about, it's just... well, where the hell did you come up with this?"

"I had lots of time to think on the road and I stopped on the way to get the stuff to do it all. I... well, I wasn't expecting you to be of sound mind and body based on what Drew said."

Maggie laughed again. "Exactly right. Now let's go get a cup of coffee and you tell me about your plan and this graph paper, cut outs and stuff."

"Amazing. It'll save us so much time. But, Hon, it's a long drive from here to the mountains. It's got to be seven hours or so. And you just drove all that way... And what, are you going to get a hotel room or something?"

Taylor looked relieved. "The highways are fine all the way there. I'll just grab an air mattress and sleeping bag from the closet and spend the night in the house. I'll be able to make sure everything is ready for the move in and scope out the neighborhood. I'm in trucker mode. Maybe I should stop and get a tattoo or something."

"A big one that says 'Daddy' or something?"

"Uh, no... Probably not that. I mean, I love my folks, but we're not real close. They're a little, uh, formal? And distant? Like the Royal Family or something.

"They never seem to quite know what to do with me--too spontaneous, enthusiastic, emotional, too happy, too excited, too sad... Always too something. Completely lacking the 'proper decorum' or whatever. Tyler and I used to get in so much trouble...

"And, as we talked about, they're not going to be real pleased about my change of plans. Well, to be honest, they haven't been happy about anything since high school. I feel guilty enough sometimes. I don't need a reminder. So are you coming?"

"No way. These bones would be so stiff and I'd be making you stop all the time... So no."

"I'll take lots of pictures. And, yes, Maggie." Smiling, "I'll call and let you know I got there safely. And I'll call again when I leave." Maggie just grinned. Yup, if she had her way they'd be seeing a lot of each other.

"Let's drink up and go get some boxes and pack some of the stuff, but, it's still going to be a week or so before they come. Oh! We need to call and confirm that."

"Deal."

By the early afternoon the next day she was in the mountains, basically retracing her steps from a couple of days before. Pulling into the main entrance she noted that it was a relatively new subdivision, but every home was different and beautiful.

Following the directions on her phone, she pulled onto Maple Lane, Drew's street, and waved to one of the neighbors--a woman a little older than herself, laughing and chasing after a maybe three year old while a smaller one sat in a stroller. Drew's house was on a little rise at the end of the cul de sac and she paused in front. Wedge shaped lot. Small front yard, big back yard, and the house; the house was even more beautiful than the online photos.

Stained, horizontal wood-like siding, big front porch with wood above natural stone columns, big windows... and woods; there were thousands of acres of national forest behind his house. She pulled into the drive, pretty flat, she could imagine a basketball hoop over there...

Opening the front door, she shut off the alarm and stared around her. Large, spacious areas; natural oak trim on the windows and base boards; each room painted a bright, comfortable, slightly off-white color.

It felt like the mountains. It felt like... home. She could easily imagine them living here and could see the little kids--their kids--running around the house. She shook her head and made herself stop. The odds of that happening were pretty slim. She shouldn't even be thinking like that.

She knew she should relax, eat, but she was too excited. She texted Maggie, then set about photographing, labeling drawers and cabinets, placing the furniture in her mind... she could see it all, imagine it all.

And there was where his bed would go. She imagined herself waking up next to him and snuggling in against him feeling his warmth as he put his arm around her--body to body, flesh to flesh, heart to heart. A wave of sadness filled her as she reminded herself that when Drew came in a month, her time here would be done and for all she knew, she'd rarely see him again. But maybe? Maybe he felt something for her--or was she just imagining it?

She had so little experience with this. High school was school and sports with a few short term boyfriends. College was in Vegas--on her own, school and work. A few relationships she thought were real, but each one had just sort of ended; leaving her feeling empty.

She took a deep breath, pulled herself together as she finished up. She looked at her phone. Crap! It was after two and she realized how tired she was. A couple cookies, a couple gulps of water and she walked into 'their' bedroom, kicked off her shoes and laid down on the air mattress where 'their' bed would go. Her night was filled with dreams of 'their' life together and sadness as each time she awakened and realized it was a dream.

She was groggy as she became aware that it was light. She touched her phone; darn! It was eight. She never slept that late, always too much to do. She needed some coffee. She walked in the bathroom and up to 'her' sink and looked over at 'his' sink. "Stop it, Taylor! It's never going to happen!"

She packed up, ate some cookies; more water and was about to leave when she felt the need to see the neighborhood. She could just drive around in the car on her way out, but decided to jog around the neighborhood and take her time exploring, get a feel for it.

She changed back into the shorts she'd brought to sleep in, started her running app to track distances, and headed out the door. A half hour later, she was huffing and puffing up the last hill before she was to turn into Drew's street when she saw the woman from down the street. Taylor gave her a brief smile and wave and went to run by her.

"STOP! Who are you and what are you doing in my neighborhood!" Taylor stopped dead and took out an ear bud as she swiveled around. She was startled at the confrontation, but saw that the woman was smiling warmly. Pretty, blonde haired, a couple of years or so older than Taylor.

"Oh the power of the maternal command. It's like magic." Taylor laughed and the woman joined her. In her small town, southern accent, "Hi. I'm Avery Williams. You know where I live and these are my little brats, Emma and Alex."

"I'm Taylor Richards. Your girls are beautiful."

"Yes." Laughing, "They take after me. None of their father's ugly genes, well, except for his stubbornness and orneriness." Taylor chuckled. "Nah, he's gorgeous, a wonderful husband and a great dad, so you just keep your mits..."

"No, Avery, I'd never..."

Avery touched her arm, "Just joshin' there, Taylor. That boy of mine is pussy whipped so I don't ever worry."

Taylor laughed, "So how long have you been married?"

"About four years. I knew he was the one and dragged his butt to the alter before he knew what happened." She laughed, "I think his head is still spinning. But enough about me. I thought some guy named Hodges was moving in."

"Yes, Drew Hodges. But he won't be here for a few weeks, maybe a month."

"Where is he?"

"Right now he's in Ireland, then he was going to Scotland and then someplace else back in the states... Washington maybe?"

"What's he do that takes all the travel?"

"He's a graphics designer, ads, an illustrator for books."

"So what's he need a big ole' house for?"

"Well, it's he and his mom."

"He lives with his mom? What, is she like in a wheelchair or something?"

Taylor laughed again, "No. She's in great shape and seems real nice. I just met her yesterday so I, well, I don't know."

"Interesting. And where do you fit in, Taylor? No ring..."

"Just, uh, friends, I guess. I knew him in Vegas and was hired to help move his things from the coast to the new house."

"Vegas! Okay, that does it, we need to talk. You need to come home with me and get a cup of coffee."

"I'd like to Avery, but I need to get back to Nags Head so Drew's mom doesn't pack too much stuff without me. I really need to hit the road."

"Please! I know it's a long hike to that place, trading the sea for the mountains are you, but I need some adult conversation. And my husband is a little limited."

Whining a little, "Avery..."

"And I'm going to be president of the HOA so you don't want to piss me off."

"Avery..."

"And, my dear old hubby is an attorney and I'm pretty sure I'm about to get hurt on your property."

Grinning and shaking her head, "Not my property, Avery. Okay, one hour! And you have to take it easy on me. I had a four hour maternal inquisition the day before yesterday and a minor one before I left yesterday; it sounds like you're crankin' up another one."

"Four hours! I never would have made it. I'd have had to dump the guy. Just sayin'. I have to take my dear old mother-in-law in bite sized pieces. You drive a hard bargain there, Taylor, you sure you're not some kind of professional negotiator or salesman or something? You're not going to try and sell me a bible or encyclopedia or anything..."

Taylor grinned and shook her head. "Okay then, let's go. I think we're gonna be good friends and, yes, I promise to take it easy on you. And yes, I'll endeavor to keep it to an hour... or so. So tell me about Vegas. Were you..."

The moving truck had just left the turn around when there was a knock on the door. Maggie opened it and was ready to speak, but Avery beat her to it. "Hi! I'm Avery Williams from right over there across the street. You must be Maggie, Drew's mom. Pleased to meet you. Taylor has told me so so much about you that I just had to see for myself." Conspiratorially, "You know how that girl loves to talk. I swear I couldn't even get a word in edgewise."

Maggie chuckled and looked at Taylor. "Tell you what, I will trade you one delicious dinner with homemade biscuits just the way momma used to make them for a cup of coffee and some conversation."

"Uh, we don't have..."

"Not to worry, I brought like a gallon of coffee and stuff with me and some paper cups so alls we need is a place to sit. I'll leave it so you can heat some up tomorrow morning. What say ye ladies?" She walked in and placed everything on the table.

And the questions started and Taylor looked on in amazement with a grin on her face. And after twenty minutes of not saying a word she laughed aloud. "What's so dang funny over there smiley?"

Shaking her head as Taylor still grinned, "Taylor, Honey, I'm sure your momma is a very fine lady and did her best raisin' you up right, but she seems to have neglected an important part of your upbringing. I mean, I kind a wish you wouldn't hog the conversation. You know, you're supposed to take turns in polite society."

"Sorry. I have just never seen anything like it."

"What the hell does that mean, Miss Richards?"

"This is the first time I've ever seen a dueling maternal inquisition and neither one showing any signs of wearing out or being ready to yield."

Avery reached over and tapped Maggie's hand with a sad look on her face. "That Taylor is kind of an ass, isn't she, Maggie?"

Maggie laughed and patted Avery's hand, "Yes, she is. But I like the heck out of her."

"Me too. So, Taylor, so we don't leave you out, just what are intentions regarding Drew?"

"No! No fair two against one!" All three laughed as the conversation continued.

DREW COMES HOME

Ear buds in and turned up, clothed only with a towel on her long, freshly washed hair she sang and danced her way to the kitchen. Morning yoga done--check. Fish fed, plants cared for--check. Morning three mile run, hills included, completed--check. She smiled, those hills were getting easier--finally.

She was happy. She loved it here. Nags Head was nice, but she'd grown up at the beach so although the waves and the sand were a lot different than the Gulf, it was still the beach. But here! Everything was green and alive. Thousands of acres of forest out the back door... incredible. And this house! Amazing. Such good vibes.

She'd met most of the neighbors and they were open, friendly, welcoming. She chuckled in recollection, 'No, not his wife. No, not his girlfriend... Just hired to get things in order along with his mom.'

But DREW! Drew was coming home tomorrow! She was so excited to see him--even though there was nothing official between them. A girl could hope, right? And Maggie had said that she was the only girl he had ever mentioned, well, since Kyra. She still didn't know any of the details on that, only the hints Kyra had given her.

She had a new outfit picked out. A pair of jeans that fit just right. A top that, well, it went so well with her blonde hair and blue eyes and was just snug enough... Her hair was going in rollers tonight... she was going to look sharp. Drew was coming home!

And maybe he'd be proud of her. The place looked great; none of the fish had died; she was starting education courses at the College next week; and had a job at the local restaurant that started in a week. A new license, her car registered and new plates... everything was done. His car had been towed here by the movers, and she did get it inspected, but the rest he would have to do.

She danced her way to the cabinet, grabbed a glass, then on to the fridge for a can of soda, oh, yes, and to the pantry for a cookie... make it two. She filled the glass, put a cookie in her mouth and turned to see...

"DREW!" She dropped the glass and the contents flew onto the island, the floor, the cabinets. Tears formed, "Oh, Drew, I'm so sorry. Your mom and I worked so hard to make it nice..." Without thinking she grabbed some paper towels, bent over and then squatted to start wiping things up... then froze. She realized she was still naked, she had already blushed from head to toe, she couldn't get any redder. As she looked up, Drew was still looking at her.

She sprang up and glanced at him. "Quit looking at me, Drew!"

"I was kind of expecting a big red bow and a sign saying 'Welcome Home, Drew.' But she was down the hall and into the third bedroom.

As she entered her bedroom, her face was still bright red, but then she laughed. 'Well, that should give him something to think about. A bow... of all the things.' She laughed again. How did he do it? He always made her smile or laugh.

A half hour later she emerged; her hair was still somewhat wet, but she had put on a touch of makeup and her new outfit. As she walked out she acted like nothing had happened. "Oh, hi, Maggie. I guess Drew decided to surprise us."

"Yes. Isn't it wonderful? Have a seat, dear. Drew? Aren't you going to say hi or anything to Taylor?"

"Oh, actually, Mom, I got to SEE Taylor earlier. Taylor, you didn't have to change clothes on my account." Taylor groaned and turned bright red. Maggie looked at her and then at Drew.

"What's the matter, Taylor? You look like, well, I don't know what. Why'd you change clothes?"

"Well, Mom, she didn't really change clothes... she was wearing her birthday suit when I came in."

Taylor groaned again, stared at the table top and put her hands on her brows so neither of them could see her face. Maggie started laughing. "Oh, dear God, Taylor."

"Yup, Mom, I walked in the door and this little wood sprite came dancing down the hall and into the kitchen with just a towel on her head. Better dancing than anything I'd ever seen in Vegas. Incredible. And as part of the act she turned, threw her glass of soda and her cookie on the floor, grabbed some paper towels, bent over to show me her ample bos... endowments and then squatted... well, only thing missing was the pole. And then she ran off back to the woods."

Maggie was beside herself laughing. "Oh, Taylor... my poor girl."

"Yup, the first thing I had to do when I got home was clean up sticky soda and cookie crumbs."

"Enough, Drew." She pulled Taylor's hand away from her face, "Are you, okay, Hon?"

Taylor looked at Drew and shook her head, still bright red, but then laughed. "Drew, you are... well, your mom is here and I'd rather not say. Maggie, I swear I was in shock! And your jerk of a son says (and she lowered her voice to imitate his) 'But I was expecting a big red bow and a sign that said welcome home.'"

"Drew! You didn't say that to Taylor, did you?"

"Mom! You know me better than that."

"Yes, I do! So you obviously said it. Well, you've wrecked your surprise welcome home." Laughing, "But I don't think what we had planned would have topped this one." Maggie laughed again. "Taylor, why don't you give Drew a tour of his new home. After all, you worked so hard to make it nice for him; and then we'll go finish our shopping."

"Sure. Drew, I am sorry I made a mess you had to clean up. I'd have gotten it when I came out."

"No. It..." he caught himself, "it's fine. Don't know where the cleaning stuff is though."

"Any, way. I tried to set things up like you had them in Nags Head. The kitchen layout is quite a bit different...

"And here's your bedroom. We put the dresser over here so you can come out of the bathroom and it's right there. I put the fish on the dresser so you can see them from the bed. Oh... Drew! I swear, half your underwear had holes in them. I pulled all of them out," she had another flash of wondering what things looked like under those shorts, "along with all the socks that had holes in them and bought you new ones.

"God, Drew, if your mom had seen those..." putting on a motherly voice, "'What if you were in a wreck. You can't go to the emergency room with holes in your undies.'" They both laughed. "Same kinds, size, colors..."

She frowned at him, then giggled. "Don't worry. All of those things are in a bag in the garage in case you have some unholy attachment to your hole-y shorts." He looked at her and laughed.

"Been saving that one up have you?" She just laughed.

"The bathroom's a lot bigger so I, well, I put things where I would have put them. You will not hurt my feelings if you rearrange everything." She sniffled and acted like she was wiping a tear, "Much."

He laughed again. "I'm sure it's fine."

"Your mom is in this bedroom. And in the third one I put all your computer equipment. I labeled all the wires and I think it's all hooked up right, but I didn't have your sign on stuff so I couldn't check it. Uh, I've been staying in here on that air mattress, my apartment in Vegas was furnished so I really don't have anything. And, uh, okay... so... if it's alright, I mean if it's alright with you, I'd like to stay a little longer and I can sleep on the couch or whatever.

"I start school next week at the college. And I have a job lined up, but I, well, I spent most of my money on tuition and college things, and I won't get paid for a few weeks...

"You should stay here."

Surprise filled her face. "What?"

"No, really." Looking her in the eyes, "You should plan on staying here, you know, at least until you're all settled, uh, and stuff."

She stepped forward and hugged him. As she held him,"Oh, Drew, thank you. I had visions of sleeping in my car and... well, I wasn't sure how I was going to make it work. I mean, I looked at apartments, but you know... with first month, last month, all the deposits..."

Slowly pulling away and looking at her, "It'll be great having another human being besides my mom in this big house and," winking, "and maybe I'll get another dance."

"NO MORE DANCES!" she laughed. At least for now, she thought.

"Shucks. Anyway, if you're going to stay and since I work all kinds of nutty hours, we need to move all my computer stuff into my bedroom so you have some privacy. But we can do that tomorrow or something."

"Drew..."

"No, that bedroom is huge and that way I can just get up in the middle of the night or whatever and work or talk to the guys in Ireland or whatever." Lowering his voice, "Any idea what Mom's going to do? Are you two getting along okay?"

"Drew, she's wonderful. You are so lucky; and no, not sure what she has planned. I had talked to her about getting a place together, but she kind of never wanted to discuss that and side stepped every time. So, anyway, that's the end of the tour; unless you want to see the garage and outside and stuff."

Then stopping, "Oh, except, you should see the garage. I set up a work bench and put away your tools. I took pictures so I think it's like the way you had it.

"Oh, and I've met most of your neighbors so I can introduce you... if you want. I've been to the HOA meeting and got all their info for you. Avery, just across the way, is going to be president so she's filled me in on everything under the sun and," laughing, "every one that lives in the neighborhood... there's a get together over Labor Day if you want to go--pot luck.

"And, Drew... there are about a zillion acres of woods behind your house. There're some walking trails, but most of it doesn't have any. I've done a lot of walking in there. It's beautiful. And birds! So many birds and deer and squirrels. And there were turkeys in your back yard last week! I couldn't believe it!

"And they said there were bears--black bears! You need to watch your trash and stuff, but they're not dangerous. Well, unless they have cubs. Oh! And they said there's a momma that always has three babies every two or three years! And the cubs have been in the neighborhood! Can you believe it! How exciting!

"Pretty excited about that, eh?"

Looking a little embarrassed, "Uh, sorry. One of my major faults according to my folks. I get too excited about things. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, it's great."

A worried look filled her face for a moment. "Drew, you had nothing to take care of the yard and the HOA said they preferred battery powered yard stuff, so I researched it and got a mower, blower, trimmer and some other yard stuff. All electric instead of gas. The price wasn't that different, really, after the batteries, but, uh, your card got kind of a workout.

"And I've cut the grass, trimmed all the bushes and used the blower, they worked great, but we can't really return them."

"That's great. You've really been busy. Thanks. Thank you for all you've done, Taylor."

Smiling, "Well, I had to because your mom is so old and so feeble..." Laughing gaily, "You should have seen her laugh, Drew. I had my arms in the air and she was ready to spray me with pepper spray and then I told her why I was there not knowing who she was. That's when she texted you. She still laughs about it."

She squared up and looked him in the eyes. "Welcome home, Drew." She held his gaze then pivoted and walked away, "Maggie, let's go to the store and get those things we needed, for that special dinner we had planned for TOMORROW!" She heard Drew laughing as she walked away.

She was elated. He was pleased with all the things she'd done... AND HE SAID SHE COULD STAY! Stay in his house. With HIM! And he had hugged her back... maybe? Maybe there was a chance for her and a way to slide inside the walls he had erected around his heart. She knew Kyra was responsible, but Maggie never would say what had happened. Drew had probably never told her.

She had some work to do to, but she was up for the challenge. And the prize? The prize might just be a lifetime of happiness. "Come on, Maggie. I'll drive and we'll leave Drew here to ooh and ahhh over all we've done so he could just show up--A DAY EARLY!"

HER BIRTHDAY

Three months later it was her birthday and Drew had asked her to go to dinner. Just the two of them. She was so excited she felt ready to burst. They settled into the booth at the restaurant. More of a diner than a restaurant, but she loved the food here--the burgers, the fried chicken, their early morning pancakes... "Drew, you didn't have to do all this. How did you even know it was my birthday?"

"I saw all your tests, remember?"

"I should have known! You worm. It's perfect. My favorite restaurant, my favorite flowers... Where did you even find dahlias this time of year? A bag of chocolate covered peanuts from The Chocolate Palace--the bomb! And a specialty beer from the tap. Perfect. You've thought of everything. Thank you."

Now was the time. She had to tell him. Obviously he must care for her to have done all of this, right? Three months! She'd lived in his house three long months and all she wanted to do every night was crawl into his bed and love him. She'd considered doing just that, but was always too chicken. So, all they'd shared was an occasional touch or a hug.

Her new black dress hugged every curve and showed 'her ample bos... endowments.' She laughed at the recollection. Lord, how he made her laugh. Hair, nails, makeup--this was as good as she could get and he was looking at every part of her closer than ever.

But she was scared to death that he'd reject her advances and she would have to leave. But she couldn't stand it any longer. His touches were rare, but he watched her. Every time she glanced up from working, he was looking at her. On their hikes, their day trips... always watching.

He looked like he wanted to grab her and hug her... but it had to be her imagination--or was it? No more. She had to tell him. Tonight was the night; go for bust. "But we need to talk, Drew. I..."

The kaleidoscope of emotions that filled his face brought her up short. Shock and surprise replaced by pain as he seemed to look off elsewhere, then overwhelmed by anger.

"Drew?"

"You're leaving! YOU'RE FUCKING LEAVING! Just go if that's what you want! You don't have to justify it, explain it... FUCK!" She was in shock. She'd never seen him angry like this or... he never said that word.

"Drew! No!"

He slid out of the booth and towered over her. "Let me just save you the time. I'm not man enough. To nice, too kind, care too much. I make it about you and not about me..." His anger seemed to grow as he loomed over her. "Let me make it easy for you, I'm a fucking pussy and no woman in her right mind should ever want to be with me. So just fucking pack up and go!"

She was stunned and watched as he picked up his beer. She swore he was going to dump it on her, but then he paused and slammed it back down on the table. Grabbing his coat he turned and stormed down the aisle and out the door.

Everything had stopped and everyone in the restaurant was still and watching the drama. "DREW!" She jumped out the booth and ran after him. The heel on her high heels gave way and she crashed head first into the diner door. She was stunned, but paid no attention to it. What was happening? She took her shoes off, ran out the door, down the steps and grabbed him as he was getting in the car.

Spinning him around she was horrified to see the look of pain on his face. "Just go, Taylor, if that's what you're going to do."

She put her hands on his face and forced him to look at her face. "GO! Drew, look at me! I'll leave if you want me to, but, Drew, I don't want to leave. I want to stay! I want to stay forever. I wanted to talk to you about dating you! Not leaving. I don't want to just be roommates anymore. I... it's just too hard. I want to be more! I want, no I NEED you to hold me, love me. I want to be more. Much more. If you'll have me.

"Who would say all those... KYRA!" She pulled her hands away. "That's what she said to you when she left? Drew! You are the most wonderful, incredible man I've ever met. And it's not just me. Every girl at Carl's felt the same way. You could have been with any one of us.

"You're smart, successful, kind, caring, and funny--God, you make me laugh all the time and fill me with so much happiness, Drew. And dang, you are one good looking guy.

"She was wrong, Drew, so wrong." The look on his face was too much too stand. She wanted to comfort him; take away the pain Kyra had inflicted. Stepping forward, she pulled his head down and kissed him. He responded and she squeezed him tighter. She sighed. Perfect. Just perfect. Just as she had imagined it would be. She felt his tongue probe between her teeth searching for hers. She gave a a slight moan in the back of her throat and squeezed him tighter.

Finally they broke their kiss, but she wouldn't let him go. She was afraid to--afraid that he would turn away--turn away again. She rested her head against his shoulder. "Drew? Please let me stay. Please let me make you happy. Please!"

"Will you dance for me?"

She sounded exasperated, but chuckled, "Really, Drew? I swear. Why do I even like you? Yes. Yes, I will dance for you. I will do all sorts of things for you. We will do all sorts of things together." She kissed him again and sighed. She'd waited so long for this moment; she never wanted it to end.

But then she started shaking and realized how cold she was getting. "Drew? I wish this moment would go on forever, but it's like twenty-five degrees out. One of us has a coat and shoes on and one of us has a filmy dress and no shoes and is starting to freeze to death. I have to go get my stuff from inside."

She became aware of pain in her forehead and let go of Drew long enough to touch it. It was swollen, puffy. How? Then she remembered her heel and hitting the door. She chuckled to herself, she was going to look like a unicorn or something. She just hoped she didn't get a set of shiners out of it. She shivered again.

"Drew, I have to go in. You start the car and warm it up. I'll go get my purse and things. I'll be right back. Do NOT go away. Please!" She kissed him again, pulled away and walked back inside the restaurant. As she stepped inside, the customers all cheered and clapped. She blushed and started saying thank you to everyone as she made her way to their table.

The waitress rushed up, "Miss! Are you okay? I mean, your forehead..."

"Looks that bad, does it? No, I'm fine. Totally my fault. When you break through the final barrier, I guess you kinda should expect to get an explosion. I... I am so sorry about causing such a fuss. Here, let me get some money for the beers."

Smiling, "They're on the house, miss."

"Taylor. And you are."

"Lizzie. Here, I got you a bag of ice, but that is a mighty impressive goose egg. I hope you and the gentleman have come to an understanding?"

Smiling back, "Yes. Yes we have. That was our first kiss... and hopefully my last first kiss forever. I've waited for a long time for that kiss."

"Well, congratulations. Can I give you a hand or help you? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Perfect. Everything is just perfect. Thanks, Lizzie." She slipped on her coat, grabbed her purse, and the waitress handed her her shoes.

"Not sure these were designed for running." They both laughed and Taylor thanked her again.

"We'll be back... maybe tomorrow, if I can go out in public." They both shared another laugh. "Thank you for everything."

She was still shivering as she climbed into the still very cold car. She needed to make sure he wasn't slipping away or backtracking, so ignoring the throbbing in her forehead, she stretched over the console and pulled him towards herself into a kiss. On and on--she never wanted it to stop. She was afraid to break the spell fearing that the walls would reappear, but she wanted to get home. Home! Maybe it would be her home.

"I'm starting to hate consoles, Drew. Can we go home and maybe you can make me dance. Please?"

"Uh, sure." She looked in his eyes and even in the dark saw the uncertainty... almost fear. But why? Kyra! What the heck had she said or done to make him doubt himself?

"Drew. We'll take it slow. No pressure. I just want to feel you and be held by you." She reached out and hugged him as best she could. She kept a hand on his shoulder, afraid to lose contact and with her right hand touched her forehead. Holy crap. What a lump. Must have broken a blood vessel or something. She knew she would look awful in the morning, but didn't care at all.

A few minutes later they were home. She jumped out of her side and hugged him to herself as he emerged. "I need to suck some heat from you, Drew." But in her mind she didn't care if she froze to death if he were holding her.

Maggie had gotten her own condo not far away. She'd said it was so she could be more independent, but Taylor had the feeling she was trying to leave the two of them together. She paused and kissed Drew again, then not giving him a chance to change his mind, she took his hand and steered him straight down the hall to his bedroom. She closed the door and pushed him onto the bed and sat next to him.

They kissed and it continued. His hands moved around on her back and side. He was gentle, methodical, her excitement was building with every touch as their kissing continued, but he seemed hesitant, afraid of doing it wrong or rejection or something. Damn you, Kyra! What the hell had she done?

She moved her hands as well, but explored his belly, thighs, and managed to graze across his groin. HARD! He was rock hard! She was encouraged and felt brave, powerful. She knew she could make him happy and tonight she would. Tonight she would take away those clouds of darkness that hung in the background. Always just out of sight, but still there.

She had very little experience and all those 'experiences' were nothing to write home about including her first one. The men were more like boys. Rushed, rough, forging ahead with their own needs and leaving her behind. She knew it could be different had to be different and she would make it different.

She'd never been forward, but she took his hand and put it on her breast. He gently squeezed, massaged, searched and found her nipple through her thin clothing and brushed it--gently, loving it, like it was special. She couldn't believe the moan that escaped her throat.

Never before had she made any noise. It always seemed so crude or like the movies or something. But tonight she had no choice, his touch was making noises come from deep within. Escaping her throat unbidden, without thought.

She slid her hands along his bulge, gently feeling it length. Back and forth as she cradled it in her hand and slid up and down its length.

Taking the hint, she felt his hand drift across her abdomen and slide to the hem of her short skirt. Slowly--advancing and retreating, his fingers tips softly sliding back and forth across her thigh. Suddenly, she heard him release some air and his hand slid to the outside of her thong, she spread her thighs apart to encourage him as he started sliding up and down tracing a course between her lips.

More noises escaped from the back of her throat and she squeezed his hand down hard onto herself and shivered as a first small orgasm rippled through her. She couldn't wait anymore. She jumped up, but saw a look of surprise and maybe failure on his face even in the darkened room.

"NO! No, Drew. Relax. You're wonderful. Wonderful." Without another word, he watched as she unzipped her dress, slid it over her head then unclipped her bra and slowly slid it down her arms teasingly exposing her 'ample bosom' to him. "Ready to make me dance, Drew?"

She saw him swallow hard. Off with her panties then she climbed beside him and started unbuttoning his shirt. With it removed she made him stand, unbuckled his belt, opened his pants and slid everything down. With difficulty, she removed his shoes, socks and the rest.

That was harder than in the movies for sure. She pulled him forward and kissed the tip of his penis. She didn't really know what she should be doing so played it by ear and did what felt right to her.

Licking the end and the triangular area underneath, she then slid it between her lips and savored it. Nice, very nice. Then forward, backward. One hand wrapped around the base, the other played with his scrotum, gently manipulating his testicles.

Her hand moved towards her mouth as she slid his cock deeper inside. Then back and forth and in just a few moments he exhaled sharply, she felt his penis contract and he shuddered as he ejaculated. She had never taken it in her mouth before, but it wasn't bad at all--it was Drew-- and she gently continued. Even after the contractions end, she continued and he stayed erect.

He pulled away. "I'm sorry, Taylor. I should have let you know..."

"Drew. It was wonderful, exciting, and my choice. You can do no wrong tonight--promise." His shoulders straightened and he seemed to inflate. He eased her onto the bed and kissed her again slowly reaching up and playing with her breasts. Easy, gently, but with passion and need.

His mouth left her lips and went to her ears, her neck. She tensed. She'd never... They drifted southward to her breast and kissed around on it as she had, then pulled the nipple into his mouth and sucked on it while is tongue explored it. She felt more than heard another noise escape from her throat as he continued to pleasure first one and then the other.

Reaching between his legs, she grasped his erection and massaged it. Her thumb and index were towards the base and it felt a little awkward, but it remained hard. His head slid further south and suddenly she couldn't hold his cock anymore and started running her hands gently through his hair.

His lips kissed around her thighs and just like his fingers had, they got closer and closer. She arched herself up and pushed his head down. "Please, Drew. Please!" She had never said a word before during sex--with anyone--but she needed him to touch her. She needed to express her need!

Her groin cried out for him to touch it as more noises escaped her throat. She held his head with both hands as he licked between her lips and then buried his tongue. "Oh, God, Drew..."

Ripples of tiny orgasms flowed through her groin with each probe of his tongue.

In and out, up and down. His tongue soon replaced with a finger, then two. Slowly, gently opening, spreading, his mouth moved to her little rod and sucked on it, his tongue sliding back and forth along its length. The tempo of his fingers and his tongue slowly increased and she felt herself building, building, ready to explode and suddenly she felt her groin engulfed by wave upon wave of pleasure.

She shook, shuddered, spasmed, made noises. Then lay still. "Holy shit, Drew. Never... Go in me, please? I need to feel you inside." Obeying her command, he climbed between her legs and she guided his shaft to where it belonged as he resumed kissing her. Deeper with each thrust and finally pubis to pubis. She grabbed his buttocks, pulled him against herself and rocked her clitoris against him as she moaned.

"Drew! You feel so good. You belong there. Lock and key. Thank you. Thank you." He started moving and in mere moments she had another small orgasm, a ripple of pleasure through her groin. She could feel his need growing as his pace increased and he penetrated to the hilt on each thrust. Noises started to escape from her throat with each thrust. Just like him, she was building, building...

With a final thrust she felt him shudder and knew he was cumming. Her ability to please him shoved her over the edge and her groin flooded with pleasure that seemed to encompass her whole world. Nothing existed except the groin, pelvis, abdomen as the sensations spread and she felt her own muscles contracting as the feelings slowly subsided leaving a pleasurable tingling behind.

Drew stopped and lay still, breathing hard. "Drew. That was wonderful, fabulous, absolutely perfect. My goodness, I have never..." Smiling up at him, "That is something you can do again, right? I mean, it wasn't a one time deal?"

He smiled down from above her, "Not sure. We'll probably have to practice a lot to get it right."

"Well, I'm ready for the challenge. Bring it on." A look of uncertainty filled her face. Should she say it? Would it ruin the perfect moment? But she had to tell him. She had to know. Surely he knew, but he had so misjudged her comments at the restaurant... She took a deep breath, she could do it.

He was still in her. They were still joined in body. Maybe they could be joined in soul as well... Gently cupping his face she looked up at him, "Drew? I love you and I want to stay. I think I have loved you since that first time I brought you a soda at Carl's. I want to stay. I want to stay with you, stay as long as you'll have me."

She hesitated. "Oh, Drew, I'm sorry. You don't have to say it back. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I... uh, I just had to say it... I..."

"But I do love you. There was just something about you from that first time we met, but I, well, I just couldn't imagine that a woman with a grotesquely swollen forehead would want anything to do with me and sure as heck wouldn't want to move across the country with me.

"What happened to your head? Are you alright? Do we need to go to the ER? Do I need to get some ice?"

She pulled him down and kissed him. "I don't give a damn about my head. You said you loved me and nothing else matters. Drew, I will work so hard to make our lives together happy... And if I'm messing up at all you need to tell me, but, " she shoved her pelvis up against him so his partially erect penis slid in deeper, "you feel so perfect right there. It's magical. If you only knew how many times I've dreamt about this... I think we need to practice some more."

"But your head..."

"Drew, Honey, take it easy. It's throbbing a little, but no big deal. I feel fine. My heel broke at the restaurant and I whacked my head on the door. No biggy." Smiling, "And even if I'm horribly disfigured and wheelchair confined, it was worth it."

She started moving her pelvis up and down against him. "How's that feel, my Big Guy? Oooh, he seems to be growing and I can tell you for sure I like it... Drew, Drew, Drew. You make me so happy. You make me feel so good about myself and make me want to be my best self--for you and for me. Lordy, I love you so much... Everything about you just makes me happy, content."

She awoke to the sounds of keys clicking, the mouse moving around on its pad, and soft light coming in the window that looked out to the woods behind the house. Stretching, she reached down and touched herself between her legs and gently moved against her clitoris. She felt so alive down there... she could still feel him... All of her felt so alive and so filled with joy. A small remnant of pleasure pulsed as she touched herself and she remembered. She could still feel him inside--incredible.

She smiled to herself and tried to open her eyes. They didn't want to open. Her hands explored--forehead seemed less swollen, eyes and face very swollen. Oh, no. She must look awful. She forced her eyes open and sure enough, Drew was working away on his art. She loved watching him create things of beauty out of nothing. Just part of what made Drew, her Drew, so special.

She came up behind him, placed her hands on his shoulders, he started slightly and she bent down and kissed the top of his head. "I'm sorry, Drew. I didn't mean to... wait! That's me! And... and it's beautiful. Drew! It's beautiful! How? What?"

He turned and her breast slid across his face. He chuckled, "Well isn't that just a fine how do you do?" He took it in both hands and sucked on her nipple. Her knees buckled slightly, a coarse breath escaped throat and she squashed his face against her breast and moaned.

"Oh, Drew, that feels so... and last night... and, damn, I cannot begin to tell you how much I love that boy from Colorado." His hand slid down between her legs and she pulled away. "Drew, no. I can't. Cripes, I can't believe I'm even saying this, but I have a test in my eight o'clock class. I can't miss it." A finger slid in and she felt herself giving in--her pelvis sliding towards his hand.

Then he stopped and his finger slid out. She ached for him to put it back in. She'd never felt that way before. Never had that need, that desire. "As soon as I get home... but it's Wednesday. I have three classes this morning. But then... Mr. Big and I are going to get better acquainted.

For the first time he looked up into her face and started to laugh. "What! I look stupid don't I?"

"No, you look beautiful."

Rushing to the bathroom she gasped. He eyes were nearly swollen shut, her face was all puffy especially on her cheeks and everything was black and blue. "Oh, my God! I look awful! What am I going to do? I mean, makeup won't do anything... Drew! What am I going to do? It's going to be like this for a week! I saw this happen to my brother Tyler."

"And what did he think?"

"He thought it was 'way cool.'"

"I think it's way cool too. You'll be fine. Love you." Her head swung towards him. He'd said it. No prompting, no pressure. He'd said it! Said it first!

She ran back in and kissed him. "Drew, if you only knew how happy you've made me. And there is no way I can ever tell you just how much I need you with me and love you. Thank you for loving me." Swatting his head, "Even if it took forever." She kissed him again and his hand slid between her thighs.

Smiling and jumping back, "No! When I get home. And then.... well, you'd better be ready for some action, baby." He laughed.

She pulled into the drive and started to get out of her car. She was already getting the fires burning down below..."You! Stop!"

She turned around "Hell..."

Avery burst into laughter. "Oh, my Gosh! Your face! That is the craziest thing... and it's not even Halloween. Quick, turn around! You're gonna scare the kids!"

"Kids, your mom's an ass."

"And proud of it, right girls? So I think this story warrants a cup of coffee."

"Avery, I have..."

"I don't know, Taylor, that grass is a little long..."

"Avery..."

"And you might be the Chair for the Easter Egg hunt and decorating committee..."

"Okay. Okay. But we have to be quick. I have..."

"Bull shit. You aced your test. I know you did. You're done with classes for the day. Wait!" She waved a finger around Taylor's face and then the rest of her like a divining rod searching for water. "There's something different... YOU! GOT! LAID!"

"Avery..."

"Don't you 'Avery' me. You got the look, that glow... AND YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH HIM! I knew it! Stacey owes me five bucks. So was he a beast? You got that... that forehead thing from him banging your head into the headboard? Happened to me once," laughing, "but nothing like that. Must have been incredible!

"I was about to give you a pass and say 'go get him, Tiger,' but Maggie's there. Sorry. So you might as well tell me all about it. Here, I'll take Emma. Come here, Darlin', and you can push the stroller." Taylor grinned and shook her head. Resistance was futile.

It was Saturday, she danced out of Drew's room in his shirt. They had just finished another round. A round filled with moans of joy and pleasure. She felt light, weightless, a sphere of joy and happiness. She reminisced about how much time they'd spent in bed since Tuesday night. She was going to grab two cups of coffee and jump right back in the sack with Drew.

She just wanted to snuggle in and stay there--maybe make a day of it. She was still amazed at his touch, his feel. Gentle, but powerful. Focused on her and her pleasure, but making sure he got his own. It worked--oh, how it worked. They still had new things to explore and find out about each other. What an adventure.

And she was so happy she could burst.

She grabbed a pod, put it in the machine and punched the button. "Got some new pj's, did you, Taylor?" She froze. She couldn't turn around and face her. She could feel her face turning red beneath the swelling and bruising. "And it seems you came out of the wrong door..."

"Maggie! I am so sorry. I... I thought, I forgot you were coming over. I..."

"Nonsense, dear. It's about time you made that thick skulled son of mine stop his foolishness. And that dress of yours the other night! Goodness! What man could have resisted you? Was that what did it? Turn around, Taylor and tell me about it."

"I can't. I'm too embarrassed."

"Oh, stop! I spent a number of nights with them when... well, let me just say she made a lot more noise than you did."

"Not helping, Maggie. And... not sure I wanted to know that."

She laughed, "I'm sorry, Hon. Let me see your face." Taylor slowly turned around too embarrassed to look her in the face. "Goodness! Taylor, your face! What on earth?"

Taylor looked up. "What? Oh, my God, I still look that bad?"

"Are you okay? I mean, do we need to go to the hospital or anything?" Taylor shook her head and Maggie started laughing. "Goodness, girl, go look at it. You're ready for Halloween or something!"

Taylor went to the bathroom. "Nope. This is nothing, Maggie. Should have seen it Wednesday morning. I could barely open my eyes. Taking that test was a real bear!"

"You know, Taylor... when you change positions, you need to move down on the bed so your head doesn't hit the headboard."

"MAGGIE! For the love of God... that's exactly what Avery said."

Maggie got up and hugged her. "You look beautiful, Taylor. You are always so beautiful. It'll be fine..." laughing while she held her, "Nothing a month or two won't take care of."

"Maggie, you're killing me. Please."

"Sorry, couldn't resist. Now, grab your coffee why don't you tell me what happened. And how you finally ended up dancing around in Drew's shirt, but we have to keep it low so big ears doesn't hear anything. He's in there working away, right?"

She nodded, "Well, Tuesday was my birthday, he bought me flowers and a bag of chocolates and took me to the diner...

"... and then, well, we ended up back there."

"So you finally broke through that damn wall he put up because of Kyra. She must have been the one that said all that stuff to him. Well, thank you, Taylor. I knew something was up. He just seemed different--more relaxed, happier. No dark clouds in the background putting a damper on his joy. So how was it?"

She turned red again. "Maggie..."

"I don't want details, Taylor. I... well, just impressions. Woman to woman. I think Kyra must have said or done something..."

"It's wonderful. But I think you're right. He was really hesitant and unsure of himself. He took some coaxing. But he was gentle, caring, but I... I don't have a lot of experience..."

Sarcastically, "Yeah, sure, Taylor."

"No, really. With school and work and people pawing me all day, I... well, most of the guys were just after one nighters and I wouldn't play. So, I stayed away from it all."

"Good for you. Anyway, I am so happy for you both. Wait, here he comes."

Drew came out fully dressed. "Good morning, Mom. I assume you have forced Taylor to fill you in."

Maggie grinned, "Of course. This is the first time we've crossed paths since her birthday. She had no choice. I was about to hook her up to the battery and drag it out of her."

Taylor was staring at the table with her hands hiding her face. "Taylor? What's the matter?" He raised her chin to look at her and saw her bruising. "Taylor, you still look great. And it's getting better every day. By Memorial Day..."

Maggie laughed. "Nice, Drew. Taylor, I'm sure it'll be much improved by Monday... or Tuesday... or maybe Wednesday," and laughed.

"You two are a couple of comedians. I'm going to go get dressed." She ran her fingers over his hair as she passed. Lord, how she loved this man; and she was so grateful that he had given his heart to her as well.

KYRA

She'd been working her way east since Vegas. Dallas, New Orleans, Tampa, and now Miami. Searching, still searching. Bar after bar, online dating services, dance halls and, she smiled, even coffee shops, groceries and hardware stores.

No luck. The guys were all a dime a dozen and all the same. Fun while it lasted, but not exciting, nothing new. Never filling her with lust, the need, the craving she was searching for. Maybe there was no such man--a real man. The man she needed to fulfill her fantasies, to make her feel 'whole,' to bring her that mythical orgasm she knew was in there somewhere.

God, she'd tried everything--threesomes, foursomes, women, old men, young men. All races, creeds, ethnic groups, religions.. athletes, non-athletes. She was frustrated and about to give up. She laughed, maybe she'd become celibate. Now that would be a quite a change for her.

But tonight might be her last. She was ready to call it quits, concentrate on a job, marry some dork with a big cock and quit looking. She chuckled. But no kids! No way! No fucking kids.

Kyra drove to the bar that Tammy had recommended. "Holy shit! This place is really out in the boonies." Way west of I-95, tucked in the swamps, far from Freddie's apartment where she was staying in Miami. She wasn't hopeful. She'd waited until eleven thirty or so, hoping that most of the 'nice guys' would have left by then and walked in the door.

Dimly lit, run down, filled with workers in work clothes and blue collar guys. "Shit!" Not what she had hoped. She ordered a drink and leaned against the bar. Multiple men and a couple of women came up and asked her to dance; she complied, but they were polite, kept their hands to themselves--vanilla, boring.

She was about to give up and hit the road when 'he' walked in the door. So out of place. She chuckled, 'tall, dark, and handsome.' Six feet four inches of muscle in a skin tight shirt looking around with disdain like he couldn't believe he was here. Royalty amongst commoners. She practically ran over to him to be the first woman there and stood in front of him.

She was already hanging out of the top of her strapless, skin tight red dress, but she puffed her chest up higher, "You look like you need a drink. How about letting me buy you one? What would you like?"

He looked her up and down, appraising, lingering his gaze on her breasts. A piece of meat. He stared at her like she was worthless, something to be used for his own enjoyment.

Her heart started racing. Maybe... maybe this would be the guy. The guy she'd told Drew about. "Sure. Tequila, double, straight." She went to the bar and ordered, hoping that no one else took her place. She hurried back and he took the drink from her and downed it in one swallow. She did the same.

She was pulled into his embrace and he started to slowly dance with her. Squeezed up against his pelvis, she could feel him stiffening through the filmy layer of her dress. She moaned and squeezed herself tighter into his embrace, moving against his erection. His hand immediately moved to her butt and lifted it against himself.

Her heart was pounding, her groin was on fire. She wanted this man. A real man, not like those weenies she kept sleeping with. By the third dance, his hand had slid down and she could feel his finger burrowing between the tops of her thighs. She was on fire. Never! Never had she been this excited about a man.

Sensing her excitement, he firmly grabbed her arm and pulled her along, out the exit. Across the parking lot to a big black SUV, backed up to the bushes. He pulled her around back and turned her around. She realized he hadn't said a word to her in all the time they'd been dancing, but she didn't care. He was going to use her; use her for his own enjoyment. He didn't give a shit about her needs or what she wanted.

She could find all that out later after she would begged him to take her home. To let her stay with him. This was going to be it! This was going to be the magic!

There in the darkness, standing behind her, he pulled her top down and fondled her breasts from behind. She moaned, the excitement building. She couldn't wait to feel his cock in her, she knew it would be huge, perfect.

He squeezed them until she felt like they would pop. Hard, painful, not meant for her enjoyment, just his. She whimpered with pain and anticipation.

He bent her over in half. He head hit the license plate and she looked at it. 'HURTHER2.' An alarm sounded in her head, but she needed release so badly that when he yanked up her dress, ripped off her thong and she heard him unzipping his pants, she could feel the ripples of an orgasm already approaching. Do it! Do it! Do it! She was trembling with excitement, anticipation, she could almost feel it sliding in and filling her up.

"GOD! Do it! Do it!" She heard him spit and then his cock was against her. But it wasn't against her vagina, it was at her ass! "I'm not ready! Not ready!" She tried to straighten, but he bent her further and shove his cock in. Her head hit the car. She groaned. Pain, discomfort, but then her excitement built.

Just like she'd imagined; like she'd told Drew four years ago. He pounded in and out, her head hitting the car with each push. She was building, ready to explode! The first time ever with an anal orgasm for her. But within moments she felt him cum. Keep going! Keep going! Please keep going! She felt him jerk but then he withdrew.

But she hadn't come! All that excitement was built up in her groin ready to explode. Maybe? But no! He spun her around, grabbed her by the hair and forced her to her knees. He pulled her head to his cock. She could smell the shit on it. "No! Stop! I don't want..."

But he crammed her lips against his cock and forced it in. She gagged. Disgusting. The smell, the taste. She felt dirty, worthless--she was just a piece of meat. She wanted to stop, this was her dream scenario? No! It was going wrong, all wrong!

But he grabbed the back of her head with both hands and pulled her against himself. She struggled and gagged as his cock went down her throat and he buried himself. She continued to push against him, trying to free herself so she could breathe, but he was strong, so strong. It was no use.

He moved in and out, never leaving her throat. She was running out of air. Needed a breath! She gagged, vomited. Vomit flew around his cock and out her nose. Her movements became panicked, fists pounding against his thighs, trying to slide down and away from him, spin sideways--but she couldn't free herself. She was essentially hanging by the grip he had on her head. She started to weaken and then he pulled himself out, spun her around and slammed his cock into her vagina.

She gasped for air, vomited again onto the car bumper, spit out the puke, used her hand to wipe the puke and shit off her face--barely even aware that she was being fucked. In a minute he was done. He grabbed her by the hair and spun her around. "YOU FUCKING WHORE! You're all alike!"

He punched her face and she heard, or felt, it crack, then again... and then nothing.

An hour later, three men walking to their car saw her lying on the ground, breasts hanging out. They figured she was just drunk until they saw her face. One of the three vomited while another called 911.

She awoke to the sound of beeps and buzzes. Something around her arm got tight, then started relaxing. She tried to open her eyes, but they felt swollen, gooey. Trying to take her hand to wipe them, but realized her arms were tied down.

She started to panic, had he taken her prisoner? Was she going to be a slave or something? She took a deep breath, but the air went through something in her neck. She tried to scream! But her teeth were wired together and the scream was nothing more than air going out the tube.

She started to struggle and then--hospital. She must be in a hospital. The beeps slowed, the alarms stopped. "Oh, good morning. I'm Emily, your nurse. Somebody really worked you over. You look awful right now, all swollen and stuff, but I looked at your films and everything is exactly back in place. So once the swelling goes down, you'll be beautiful once again.

"So, you have a bunch of metal plates holding all your facial bones in place, packing in your nose for five to seven days, your teeth are wired together and that'll be for a month, and you have a trach tube in your neck to breathe. That was put in so they could do the surgery and keep you safe.

"That could probably be plugged later this morning and then you can breathe through your mouth and talk. But to be honest, it might be easier to use it until a little more swelling goes down. Oh, and they think your vision is fine, you're just swollen shut. And you you have a sheet of cartilage under your left eye to hold it up where it should be. Guess the guy was right handed.

"So, bad news is you had a hell of a lot of work done last night. Good news, everything is back in place, your brain looked okay, and... most importantly, you're alive.

"The police have your purse and want to talk to you about what happened. They have a bunch of samples... Kyra, it seems that someone, uh, kinda took advantage of you in the parking lot. Another part of the bad news, I guess. So, anyway, they need to get the details of whatever you remember so they can catch this creep. But that won't be today. So, how about a few sips of water?"

An image of a license plate filled her mind. 'HURTHER2' from Indiana. That son of a bitch was going to pay for this. The man of her dreams was an asshole. All her fantasies--shattered. Her anger intensified. 'Hell hath no fury' or whatever. The beeping of her monitor rapidly increased.

"Kyra? Are you alright?" She nodded.

A week later she was on her way to Indiana. She'd given the police a complete description, but changed the story a little to make it sound like she was beaten, then raped. Didn't really jive with what some of the patrons said about how she had willingly let him do things on the dance floor. And they seemed a little skeptical.

'So you danced with this guy for half an hour and went to the parking lot with him... and all he said the whole time was he wanted a double tequila?' In retrospect, she'd been nuts. Ruled by her fantasy. She'd been chasing that fantasy, her magic coupling for four years! Well, actually, since she was fourteen.

Her first time was okay, but not special, not special like she knew it should be and so the search had begun. All through high school, then college, but then abruptly stopped with Drew until she got spooked and cheated on him--over and over.

God, Drew had been nothing like she imagined. It surprised the hell out of her. It was nice, pleasurable... the best she'd ever had, but then the hunger, the quest, took over and the search began again. He was the best man she'd ever been with and she blew it. Damn, and the things she'd said to him... she was going to have to find him and apologize... some day.

And as she considered her life, Drew had been right. She was the 'easy lay,' the 'fuck queen.' You want it, you got it. Worthless, meaningless. Guilt and shame filled her, but then she dismissed it. She was actually over due to have trouble, but never...

Oh, well. Those days were done. She was not that girl anymore or at least wouldn't be once she took care of this dick head. She was going to find a nice guy, settle down, have babies... She chuckled.

Yes, even have babies... and become Little Suzie Homemaker. She laughed, guess she'd have to learn to cook. Shit! Did she actually have to have kids? Maybe she'd want to? Hard to imagine.

The DNA samples from her had matched three others in Miami, three more elsewhere--four of whom were dead. That son of a bitch! And he had left a hundred dollar bill next to her. Which he apparently always did.

Asshole. She was worth way more than that! Compared to what she had made in Vegas for a lot less sex... A hundred lousy dollars, which, of course, the police kept for evidence. Shit! Soon, real soon that asshole was going to pay--payback time!

She laughed at how easy it was to track him down with the license plate. Plug it into her Garmin, copied the directions, destroyed her Garmin and bought a paper map--with cash. Tomorrow she'd be there.

She'd thought of flying, but wanted, needed to keep the car and they could trace her flight, rental car and the rest. All her belongings in a suitcase, garment bag and a carry on. That's all she had! What the hell had she been doing with her life? God! She WAS a whore. She was a worthless piece of meat! BUT NO MORE! Once she took care of this pile of shit. Maybe she should cut his dick off...

But she knew she had to be careful. She'd watched enough TV and movies to know how easy it was to track her movements. So she ditched her phone in a nearby park after erasing her search history and letting the battery run almost dead--and replaced it with a burner phone. She knew she couldn't use her credit cards so got cash from her bank.

She had a plan. Touch nothing. Dispose of the bat she'd just bought--with cash. And figure out where the heck she was going to head once she did whatever she was going to do.

She figured she'd keep her ski mask on and break him up. Hit his jewels with the bat a few times... her mind was flooded with things she wanted to do to him. Maybe slice up that face of his... Fifteen hours, Miami to southern Indiana. She could do it. She'd nap in the car if she needed, but she was on a mission.

As night became full, she parked her car in a wooded area and walked to his house. In the woods, all by itself... perfect. She peeked in the garage window without touching. No car. She went around the side and hid in the bushes--waiting.

As time went by, she started to worry, 'What if he was out of town?' 'What if he wasn't coming home tonight?' Touch nothing, she reminded herself, keep the disposable gloves on.

She was cold and about to abort the mission for tonight when the garage door started opening and headlights came up the driveway. As he pulled into the garage, she followed, sticking to the blind spot of his black car--the same car; same license plate. Well, after tonight it was going to say HURTHM2.

As he opened the door and prepared to stand, she stepped forward with her Louisville slugger and slammed it onto his knee. He fell forward onto the floor holding his knee. He stared at her in disbelief. Her face was covered in a mask, all her clothes were black. Fear filled his face. The arrogance and cockiness disappeared.

"Who... who are you!"

Speaking in a garbled manner between her tightly wired teeth, "What? You don't recognize me?" She swung the bat and broke the arm he held up in defense. He grabbed his arm with the other one and she broke that too.

Her anger grew. Anger at him! The man who'd destroyed her dream. Anger at herself! Anger at her wasted life. Anger at the kind of person she was. The need for vengeance, a reckoning, took over. She knew she would never look the same--never. And he was the asshole who'd done it. He'd shattered her dreams.

She lifted the mask to show him her swollen, disfigured face and her wired teeth. "YOU DID THIS, YOU ASSHOLE! Half my fucking teeth are missing or broken!" She pulled it back down.

"But who are you? I've never seen you before!"

"What? You don't recognize me? YOU FUCKER! My own mother couldn't recognize me!" She slammed the bat down onto his thigh. He screamed. "Hell! I don't recognize me!" She slammed it down again.

"Please! Please? I don't understand! Who are you?"

"Ten days ago in that place out in the Everglades? And you PIECE. OF. SHIT! You came twice in under a minute each time and I NEVER..." Whack! "EVEN..." Whack! "GOT..."Whack! "MY..." Whack! "ROCKS..." Whack! "OFF!" Whack!"

"But you're..."

"NOT! DEAD!" Each word was accentuated with the bat striking leg, thigh, chest. "So how do you like getting the shit knocked out of you? WHY! Why would you do this to me? Why would you do it to other women? You killed at least four!"

Tremulously, "Because... because you're a filthy whore!"

She was taken aback. "I am not a whore. I didn't ask for money or anything--just you. All I wanted was YOU! A real man! The man I''ve been searching for.."

"In minutes you let me do anything I wanted and then fuck you. That makes you a whore!"

"And what's that make you, Jason? You let me touch you! You let me do things to you, 'in fucking minutes.'"

"That's different."

"Sure. The big difference is that you're also a rapist and a murderer. So if your divine mission is to eliminate evil, what about rapists and murderers?"

He whimpered, "Please? I'll give you anything. Money? Whatever you want. Please?"

"Will you give me back my looks? Will you give those women back their lives?" He just stared.

"Well, this has been fun, but all good things have to end." Anger took over. She growled, "Errrrr!" She swung as hard as she could and struck him across the teeth. She watched as they broke and he started choking on his own blood.

The anger and fury grew within her. She couldn't control it. It needed release! She swung the bat again, and again, and again until his head was distorted and deformed.

Finally regaining control, she took a deep breath; had to be careful and get out of here quickly. She reached carefully into the open car door, not touching anything and slipped the remote from the visor. Walking out the door, she hit the remote as she left the garage, and watched the door close. Maybe no one would look for him for a while.

The bat was carefully placed into a large plastic bag she'd brought along with the remote and gloves as she walked to her car. She drove an hour down the highway then pulled off onto a side street, sat in her car and cried. She suddenly started to tremble and shake. The reality of what she had just done struck home!

SHE WAS A MURDERER! She had just beaten a man to death! Images of his face and his skull collapsing under her blows! She opened her door and vomited. Just bile, she hadn't eaten since the morning.

Then she realized she might get caught. She retraced everything she'd done. Every step. But as she thought about her life, jail might not be too bad. The prospect didn't really bother her--it would simplify everything--no choices, no decisions.

But she had to go. Had to get away. No way of telling how quickly someone would find the body. Had she touched anything, left finger prints? No! Well maybe by the bush. Nothing else but the bat, remote, and maybe her clothes. She started the car and drove towards the interstate.

But wait! Where was she headed? Get away from here, but then what? She couldn't go home. She'd burnt those bridges a while back. She hadn't talked to her folks or her brother in... in years! What kind of woman was she? What kind of daughter? What kind of sister?

She really had nothing, no one. She started crying again. Her whole life was in one suitcase and no one cared. Twenty-seven years old and one fucking suitcase and no one in the world gave a shit whether she existed or not. Hell, even she didn't care.

DREW! The best thing that she had ever had in her life. Her island of peace, calm, happiness. She was going to add contentment, but she hadn't been content, right? She was to start with, but... She went out and found new men, new adventures. Cheated on the happiness she had. Wrecked it like she wrecked everything else in her life.

But Drew had said that if she needed help or wanted something different in a few years that he would still be there. Hadn't he said that? No, he didn't say that, but he did say that he might still be in love?

Yes, he did say that, but he had also correctly predicted what would happen to her if she fulfilled her fantasy. He'd been so right--more than right.

Drew! That's who she had to find. He'd have the answers. He'd love her again. They could rebuild things and she'd be different. If she could just feel his gentle touch and tenderness... so different than all the gropers and maulers she'd been with since then. He used to make her feel so good...

Two years since the breakup until she saw him in Vegas. Had he even noticed she was there? He had asked who she was, right? He never said anything to her or reached out--just disappeared by the next day. Then close to two years since then.

Her craziness was done. Ready to become little miss homemaker and get some kind of job. Now where the heck was Drew? She pulled out her phone and looked him up. Western North Carolina? What the hell? His business address was there, but no home address. Maybe they were the same?

She pulled out her paper map. Pretty straightforward. Eight hours or so. Maybe she could drive a couple of hours and pitch the bat and find a hotel so she could get some sleep before she found Drew. No, she had to make it to North Carolina before she used her credit cards or got a hotel.

No! Wait! She had to drive all the way to south Georgia or north Florida, then use her credit cards to buy gas, get her picture recorded and stay at a hotel. Damn. How the hell was she going to make it? She drove until she was out on the interstate, but suddenly a half hour later reality struck her again. She had nothing, nobody and she was a murderer and a whore. She wanted to take the first exit and cry, but she couldn't. There might be cameras or whatever somewhere.

So no stopping until the tank was almost on E then drive miles to a run down gas station fill up with cash and back track to the interstate. She stopped for gas, but there was no stopping the tears that streamed down her puffy, swollen face.

She had to get all the way south. Shortly after she stopped for gas, she smashed the opener and put it under a big rock, put her hood in a fast food bag, then disposed of it nonchalantly at an out of the way gas station. Pitched the bat into the deep woods well off the interstate in South Carolina, threw her black clothes into a donation box... And finally, pitched her burner phone into a drainage ditch after wiping the memory.

She cried all the way to a small motel just north of the Florida state line. Her face was easy to remember so she made sure the clerk saw it. Grabbing a couple bottles of water, she stumbled into her room and fell asleep in her clothes; propped up with cushions so she could breathe.

Two days later she headed out. She cried all the way to the mountains--Drew's town. Almost noon. She decided to stop in the small downtown to get some lunch and coffee, using her debit card, before finding a hotel she might be able to check into. Small town, not too many choices. Shit. She looked up and froze. Candy? What the hell would Candy be doing here?

Taylor sat on the toilet in the drug store waiting to see what would happen to the pregnancy test she'd just purchased. Three years of knowing him at Carl's, three months in the same house with Drew, three months of sleeping together before the wedding. The magic of threes. So maybe since this was her third month off birth control...

What a wonderful wedding. Small, comfortable. And she had looked so wonderful in that dress that Maggie helped her pick out. Drew's brother and sister were great. She loved them and they embraced her as part of the family.

Her family? Tyler was, well, Tyler was overseas somewhere, doing something, but had sent her a quick congratulations. Her folks and Terry and Thomas had made it. Their panties, except for Terry's, were kind of in a bunch the whole time. Well, a lot more than kind of.

But her mom seemed different somehow. She was less formal and made it a point to meet Drew's family one on one and get to know them; she actually hugged them. Hugged them! Never, never in a million years would she have expected that, but her father and Thomas pulled the royalty dealing with commoners approach. Asses!

But the interrogation--brutal. Why hadn't they met Drew? Wasn't she rushing into this marriage? If he could do his work from anywhere, why not Gulf Port? Teaching? Why the hell had she wasted three years on business (she chuckled, another 'three') and switched to teaching? Teaching wasn't much of a career. Had she really thought this through? They really needed her for the business... and on and on.

But Terry--Terry had congratulated her, told her how wonderful Drew was, and if she had any sense at all she would stay the hell away from Thomas and Father. And definitely, definitely she should consider doing anything in the world other than joining the family business.

She no longer worked there and would have brought her hubby and kids, but her youngest got sick and couldn't fly. So hubby stayed home to baby sit.

Family. Taylor was glad she lived far away. Far from the criticism and judgment. She'd been lost in her own thoughts when she'd remembered Evie smiling and giving her a thumbs up and fingers crossed when she bought it and had mouthed, "Good luck."

The magic of threes. She laughed, maybe she'd have triplets. She'd just crap if that happened, and chuckled some more.

Maggie grew excited each month along with her and gave her strength. But she was late. Was it pregnancy or just the hope of being pregnant? Her periods were always all over the place anyway, drove her nuts, but she was over due...

She stared at the test, then.... maybe... maybe... IT TURNED POSITIVE! She let out a squeal of joy and did a little happy dance. No, not her wood sprite dance. She smiled to herself as she remembered. She got out her phone and was about to call Drew, then put it away.

No, she had a better idea. Stop by the bakery, get a baby shower pink and blue cake and have him open it! He always said he hated surprises, but she knew, absolutely knew he would like this one. She waved the positive test to Evie who let out a whoop and a double thumbs up.

She hurried to leave the store and walk down the street to the bakery. Rhonda and Jacob made the best cakes...

She drifted along, lost in her own thoughts, overwhelmed by joy. The wheels of planning already spinning. She was having a baby. She was having DREW'S baby! Andrew Livingston Hodges. But what if she were a girl?...

"Candy?" She didn't turn and her call sounded garbled through her closed teeth. "Candy!" No response. Kyra ran after her and grabbed her by the arm. "Candy?"

Taylor swung around, looked at the woman and gasped. Swollen and lumpy, she didn't recognize her and was immediately frightened. "Candy, it's me, Kyra!"

"Kyra?"

"You know. From Las Vegas."

Fear gripped her. This was her worst nightmare. There was one piece of Drew that wasn't hers. That one piece that belonged to Kyra. If he saw Kyra, which one would he choose? She was panicked. One of the happiest days of her life and Kyra pops in. My God. "But, Kyra?"

"I know. Pretty scary, right? Car wreck." She wiped the corners of her mouth with her hand, "Broke like every bone in my face. Make sure you wear your seat belt. Still have to keep my teeth wired for another three weeks or so. If you think I look scary now, you should have seen me last week." She laughed through closed teeth....

... And Taylor continued to just stare. She had to be here to see Drew. No other reason. Taylor knew that if she told Drew she was pregnant, he'd stay--duty, obligation, whatever. But she wanted him to stay for HER. Stay because he loved HER and get rid of that part of him that still loved Kyra or at least still thought he loved Kyra.

She'd tried to completely clear out that hidden part of him, but she knew a smoldering ember remained. They never talked about it, but she knew. She could feel it. That space. That hole she could never fill no matter how hard she tried.

"Candy?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm just really surprised... I'm being rude." She stepped forward and gingerly hugged her. "Oh, is that okay? I mean, is anything else broken or..."

Laughing a little, "Just my face. I just drove two days from Miami. Fifteen hours all told. Kinda beat and look even worse than usual. I'm..."

"... Looking for Drew."

"How'd you know that?"

"Can't imagine there's any other reason for you to be here in this little burg."

"So, Candy, do you... Wait! Why the heck are you here?"

"I'm going to school to be a special ed teacher. And... I help Drew some. Oh! And I go by my real name, Taylor. I guess..."

"That's why you didn't turn around?" Taylor nodded. "And I guess because I sound so fucking weird with my teeth wired together. Everything is slurred and messy sounding. I hate to even talk. I feel like I'm drooling all the time." Laughing through clenched teeth, "So, better stand back so I don't splatter on you."

Taylor frowned at that idea and slid back a half step. "So how can I find him? I kind of hate to just drop into his office. Where's he live?"

"The office is actually part of our, his, home. There's a separate entrance and everything, it was the old garage. The office has a sign on it. The house entrance is on the right. Separate walkway. He should be there."

"Great. I was going to wait until tomorrow since I'm so friggin' tired, but I am so excited about seeing him again. Four years since I've seen him. Well, I saw him sitting in the audience at Carl's, but he left like the next day.

He must have seen me, but... but you said he asked about me right? Well, he really concentrates when he works. I know he doesn't like surprises, but maybe he'll like this one."

"Yeah, maybe." But every atom of her being hoped not. "He should be there if you wanted to go now. He... uh, he worked most of the night on some projects, but should be up and about by now."

"How do you know all that, Taylor?"

"I work at the office when I'm not in school. You know, paper work, the books, make travel arrangements," smiling, "that man loves organization and structure so he doesn't have to think about anything when he creates..."

Shaking her head, "Yeah, I remember that. Used to..." Kyra stopped as she watched Taylor's face. This conversation was not sitting well and she was looking sick. "Taylor? Are you okay? You look kind of peeked. Can I do anything to help? We LV girls need to stick together."

Shaking her head and trying to keep her fears and pain in check. She wanted to scream at her to get in her car and disappear forever, but couldn't. "No, sorry, I'm fine. Tough day in class. Tests and stuff, you know?"

"Okay. Sure as hell don't miss school. So, Can... Taylor. Can you give me your... shit! I lost my phone in Miami and have to get another one. I swear, I had to use a paper map to get here! Here. Here's a piece of paper. Can you write down your number, Drew's, and Drew's address? I am absolutely lost without my phone, I'm sure you feel the same.

"So is it hard to get to his house? Do I need to get a phone or Garmin first? Taylor, are you okay? You still look pretty puny like your world is about to end or something." If she only knew.

"No, no, everything is fine. Just tired, I guess. Pretty easy to find, about ten miles or so, up that mountain over there. Here I'll draw you a map."

"Great. We have to get together and catch up. I... well, I'm hoping I have a reason to stay." More color drained from Taylor's face and she fell like she was about to faint... or vomit.

"Yeah, that would be great. I'd love to. When you get your phone, text me or something so I have it. Oh, uh, Kyra, if there's anything I can do, you know, what with your face and all. Just let me know."

"Will do." She stepped forward and hugged Taylor. "Great seeing you again. Never expected... Wish me luck." And left.

Should she go home now? Be there when Kyra arrives? Run interference? Hell, she didn't know what to do, but decided to let the two of them meet and talk. She knew Drew loved her and she trusted him, but...

She called Drew's mom, who lived in a condo nearby, and asked her if she could visit for a bit. "You sound awful, dear. Are you okay?"

"Not sure." She texted Drew. 'Going to see your mom for a bit. Talk to you later. I love you, Drew. More than I can ever tell you.'

"Maggie..."

"Taylor you look like your world just ended. You need a drink."

"God, I'd love one, but I can't. l..."

"You're pregnant! Oh, my goodness, Taylor." She grabbed her and hugged her. "Congratulations. I am so excited! What did Drew say?"

"I haven't told him."

"Why not! Taylor, honey, what's the matter? Are you having complications or something?"

"Worse. Kyra's here and on her way to Drew's."

"Damn! And she wants to see Drew. And you're right. If he knew you were pregnant he'd stay. Stay no matter what." She nodded. "He loves you to death, you know. " She nodded again, biting back tears. "But there's that 'what if' part of him, isn't there?"

She nodded again. "We've never talked about it, but I can feel it, Maggie. I tried to bring it up. Tried several times, even before we got married, but he always side stepped it. 'Absolutely not. That's over and done.' Etc., etc. But it's there." She broke and started to cry. "It should be the happiest day since I married Drew. But it might be my last happy day ever."

Maggie hugged her and pulled her head onto her shoulder. "Hang in there, Taylor. He'll choose you. With or without the baby. I'm sure of it."

Drew was starting to run on the treadmill when he saw Taylor's text. "That's kind of strange..."

There was a knock on the door. "Shit!" Probably Avery, but he got off the treadmill, walked to the door and opened it. "Kyra! What..."

Kyra rushed forward, wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. She tried to kiss him the old way, but her teeth were wired tightly together. Her tongue wedged against the back of her broken front teeth and the wires and all her broken teeth dug painfully into her lips.

Just lip to lip. Screaming in frustration and then slurring her words. "Drew! I had to get here! I had to..." she wiped some spittle from the corners of her mouth.

But then she stopped and looked at his face, his eyes. Worry, concern, familiarity--no joy, no love. What the hell was she doing? No do overs! She couldn't use HIM to solve HER problems. SHE had to do it. SHE had to fill her own glass. He'd tried to save her once before and she blew it.

She let go of him and stepped back as he stared at her. "This is wrong--so wrong--wrong on so many levels. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry, Drew. But after what happened to me... I mean I almost died they told me, I... I just felt so lost and being with you was the only time I felt safe and on solid footing.

"I shouldn't have hugged you. I shouldn't have kissed you. I..." Tears started pouring from her eyes. "I... Drew I am so sorry for all the horrible things I did to you; the way I mistreated you. God, I was awful to you." She wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

"You gave me everything. A stronger love than any woman could ask for and... and I didn't know what to do with it. It scared me to death and made me want to run from it. I did all those terrible things to prove to myself that you weren't right for me. Maybe I was was hoping you'd confront me and call it off; so I could say you ended it." She wiped her mouth.

"Hell, I don't know, Drew." Looking at his face, "But one thing for sure, I should have just called it quits and left; just like you said. I never should have said any of those things I said. They were lies. All of them were lies!

"I loved every moment I was with you, Drew. You are the kindest, smartest, most talented man I ever met. Every night with you was wonderful and so much better than anything I've had before, during or since.

"Drew, you are more of a man than any other man I have ever gotten to know. Twice the man! And I am so sorry to have hurt you they way I did. I hope with all my heart, that you have been happy and maybe found, or will find, the woman you deserve.

"And you were right. Right about everything. I never could fill my glass up and my dream date did this to me and left me for dead. Just as you predicted. How the fuck did you know!

What I did was wrong, so wrong, but I was never the woman for you, Drew. I never would have been able to make you truly happy or be the woman you could be proud of. My time at Carl's certainly proved that."

Tears continued to fall and her chest heaved with sorrow and regret. She wiped more fluid from the corners of her mouth and growled in frustration "I saw you there and wanted to talk to you. To see how you were doing, to apologize, but you were gone the next day and Carl didn't know where you were headed. Drew, I had a huge debt and someone paid it off the day...

"Drew! You paid it! YOU! YOU were the one. Why? Why the hell would you do that for ME? For ME! After all I did to you, why?"

Drew hadn't moved. His mind had been spinning, but was beginning to reach solid ground. Order returned and along with it--calm. Kyra was not the right one. Like she said, never was, never could be. Taylor. Taylor was the right one.

"Because you needed help."

"Drew, I will never be able to thank you enough. I will find a way to pay you back, promise. I... This was a mistake, Drew. I shouldn't have come..." Breaking down completely, she sat on the couch, the same couch he'd had years ago, and cradled her face in her hands. Drew sat next to her and put his right arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"But after this," pointing towards her face, "I felt so lost and the only place I've ever felt safe and comfortable was with you, and..." Releasing of groan of sorrow and remorse, "... and I had no where else to go. No one I could think of who could help me. God, Drew, I have really, really messed up my life. It would probably have been better if he'd just hit me a few more times."

She jumped up, "I have to go! I'm sorry. Sorry for what I did, sorry for coming." She looked at his left hand that was resting on his thigh, "I shouldn't have just... WAIT! You're married! Oh, Drew! That makes this even worse! You have a wedding band on.

"CANDY! I mean, Taylor! Oh, no! That's why when I saw her in town she turned all white and looked like she was going to puke or pass out or something. Why didn't she tell me?" She shook her head, "Because she knew we'd been together and wanted to make sure it was over...

"Drew, I hope she makes you happy and you have those kids you always wanted. I... I need to go. You need to let her know there's nothing going on. Oh, God, the look on her face..."

She turned and started for the door. He grabbed her arm. "NO! Kyra, where are you going to go? What're you going to do? The best thing would be to go home to your folks, but I doubt you're up for that. You can't work and I assume you don't have a job. You have to stay. Please let us help you."

"Drew... I couldn't do that to Candy... Taylor. It's not fair. The look on her face!"

"Then maybe you can stay with my mother. She lives just a short distance away."

Smiling slightly, "You're kidding me, right? Shit, Drew. After what I did to you, I'd be afraid to fall asleep at her place. No way. I'll be fine. I always manage..."

Tears formed again. "Yeah I always manage; manage to fuck things up royally. I'm going. You talk to Taylor and make sure she's alright. I have a room at the motel and I'll figure out what I'm doing next and how I'm going to pay you back."

She stepped forward, hugged him and looked him in the eyes. "I am truly sorry for all the awful, unforgivable things I did and said to you and thank you for the eighteen happiest months of my life. Tell Taylor I'm sorry for scaring her to death. CALL HER! NOW!"

She went out and closed the door. As she climbed into the car, step one: no drinking or drugs. Step two: get a friggin' phone. She laughed to herself. Shit, that was what Drew would do. Even in this little burg there had to be a phone store or some place with phones. She felt better about what she'd done. Walking out the door and not begging Drew to stay was really step one.

Drew waited for a bit and digested what had just happened and what to say to Taylor. He pulled out his phone, decided against it and instead drove to his mom's. Sure enough, her car was there. He climbed the few steps to the door and knocked. His mom answered the door.

"Hey, Mom. Where is she?"

His mom searched his face, but as usual there were few clues. "In my bedroom." She felt it was better to leave it there and not offer any advice. He was a grown, married man and soon he'd be a father.

He walked quietly down the hall and opened the door. Taylor had her hands on her face and did not look up. "Taylor?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice and looked at his face, searching for clues. Without saying a word he stepped forward, pulled her up, wrapped her tightly in his embrace and kissed her. He looked into her eyes, "I love you, Taylor." He kissed her again. She was ready to melt, but was waiting for the shoe to fall, the 'but.'

"Taylor it's you. Only you. No Kyra. That's over, done. She wasn't right then. Isn't right now. Will never be right. It's you, only you."

She groaned a sigh of relief and kissed him, but he felt another tear. "You're still crying, Taylor."

"They're happy tears now. Drew, I was so worried, so afraid. There's always been that part of you, that part of you that wouldn't let me in. And when I saw her downtown... I, I was so afraid the ember might glow again. Drew if I ever lost you or didn't have you with me I would just shrivel up and disappear.

"I'm not leaving. Never going anywhere, at least without you." They kissed again.

"Drew we have to talk about a couple of things. And if you throw a hissy fit and make a scene like you did last time I had to talk to you, I swear I'm going to thrash you until you look as bad as I did."

Smiling, "Learning a new dialect from Avery?"

She smiled, "I'll ignore your smart ass comment. First..." She held up the pregnancy test like it was self evident.

"What? It looks positive, I guess. You have Covid?"

She looked at the test and then at Drew. "What? No, Einstein, you're GOING TO BE A FATHER!"

He continued to stare at her. His mind went blank for a few moments. "Well, not really the response I was expecting. A DAD! You're going to be a FATHER, Drew."

"Oh, my God. This is, this incredible. We have to start getting ready. We..."

She grabbed his face with both hands and quickly kissed him. "We have time, Drew. Relax." He grabbed her and hugged her tightly. "Do not attempt to squeeze my uterus out of me, Drew."

"It's just..."

"I know." She grabbed his head again. I have it all planned out, Drew. All the 'To Do's', all the checklists. All you have to do is sit back, relax and watch me turn from your oh so beautiful wife to some swollen, huge boobed, semblance of myself."

"What about..."

"Yes, Drew, I started the vitamins before I went off birth control."

"But..."

"Yes, I called and set up an appointment with Avery's obstetrician."

"But..."

"Enough, Drew. Topic number two. What do we do about Kyra? She looked awful. I don't know what happened to her, but I don't think it was a car wreck." He shook his head.

"She's skinny as a rail, and I would bet you dollars to donuts that she has no job, no place to stay and is fumbling around trying to figure out what to do, which way to go.

"IF you are sure that she is 100% in the past and I'm 100% the present and future, then I think we need to help her. At least until she gets her wires off in a few weeks and can figure out what she wants to do. I mean, no way she could get a job with her teeth wired shut."

"Taylor, first, why didn't you call me as soon as you found out?"

"I decided I would buy a baby shower cake and surprise you, but then I ran into Kyra and I needed to make sure. I mean I was pretty sure, but I knew, and you know I'm right, that even if you had decided to leave me for Kyra, you would have stayed no matter what if you knew I was pregnant. I wanted you to make the choice first.

He nodded, "Know me pretty well, don't you?" He kissed her again. "So, what about Kyra? I offered to help somehow and she refused. She said she's staying at the motel for the night until she figures out what to do and I've already done... a lot... to help her. I paid off her debt to Carl."

She kissed him. "Of course you did. That was the right thing to do." Her phone dinged with a text. She automatically looked at it. "It's from Kyra." She picked up her phone and looked at the message. "She apologizes for dropping in, but she had no idea you were married; she was not right for you then and is certainly not right for you now, and wishes us both all the luck in the world. And she thanked me for making you happy.

"Drew, we have to help her. She's lost, empty. She was crying as she wrote this. You can feel it in the message."

"You can?"

"Yes. So you, my darling, are going to go home or stay here and chit chat with your mom and I am going to visit Kyra."

"Taylor, I'll come with you. In your condition you shouldn't go alone."

She laughed. "In my condition? Drew, I'm only a few weeks pregnant, if that. Don't start this crap." She smiled, "You may pamper me if you like and tell me how beautiful I am even when I'm not, but please don't try to make me helpless okay?

"This needs to be a woman to woman discussion. And before you even think it, it's not some maternal hormone thing. Even if I weren't pregnant, dang, I can't believe I said that--I'M PREGNANT! Drew, I'M PREGNANT!" She hugged him and shared a kiss. "Thank you, Drew. Thanks for making this possible.

"So, I'm going to see Kyra and then make a bunch of phone calls to let my family know." Smiling an evil grin, "But don't tell Avery. See how long it takes for her to figure it out. Now give me a kiss."

"Yes, dear."

"I swear, some day you're going to say that wise assed thing and I'm going to make you look like you fell into a door at the diner," and then kissed him.

She walked out, grabbed her purse, "See you later, Maggie. Remind Drew to call his brother and sister. Wish me luck."

"But, Taylor..." she walked out and closed the door. "Drew?"

Taylor didn't know what she was going to do or say. She'd have to play it by ear. She stopped by the grocery and bought everything she could think of. Liquid diet supplements, broth, liquid vitamins, water, milk, and more.

She stopped at the diner and got some noodle soup and loaded things into a cooler. On to the motel and stopped by the ice machine and got some ice for the things that needed it.

There were only a few cars at the motel and only one with out of state, Florida plates. She took a deep breath, marched to the door and knocked. 'Who's there?"

"It's me, Kyra. Taylor, Candy. Please open the door."

The door opened and Taylor walked in and gave her a hug. Kyra pushed her back, "Taylor. Why are you here?" Tears formed, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you two were married. Why didn't you say something?

"Ah, because of our past. You needed to make sure, right?" Taylor nodded. Pointing towards her face, "Look, I've been lost since this happened. Drew has been the only anchor in my pitiful life. The only place I felt safe and loved... but I blew it. I had to tell him how sorry I was for what I did. I was awful to him, Taylor, and hurt him so badly... and worse, I said so many terrible things to him. None of which were true!

"I just, well, it was stupid," she wiped her lips, "but I thought if I said all these crazy things to him it would help me feel better about how I treated him... and would make him hate me or whatever, and make it easier for him. I was wrong. Wrong on both counts, I'm sure.

"I was wrong to come. I shouldn't be here. I should have called. Fuck. I should just disappear into the swamps or something for all I'm worth.

"Look! That suitcase. That friggin' suitcase has almost everything I own. I'm twenty-seven and that's all I have and if something happened to me, not a soul on this planet would know or even give a shit. So if you want to let me have it for what I did to Drew and just showing up? Have at it.

"And before you start, I'm sorry I scared you today. You turned all white and looked like you were about to vomit. I should have made you tell me what was wrong, I should have... Fuck! That's my whole life, Taylor. 'I should have.'

"And I will pay Drew back for the money he gave Carl."

"It doesn't matter, Kyra."

"It does! It matters to me. I owed Carl twelve thousand or more and Drew paid it off so I didn't have to work in the rooms. He got me out of a jam. But, as always, I wasted my opportunity and ended up like this. The man of my dreams beat me to a pulp and left me in the parking lot of some shit assed bar thinking I was dead. Drew said it would happen. I don't know how the hell he knew, but he was right."

"Are you done with the pity party?"

Kyra smiled, just a little. "Always little Miss Sunshine, except when you saw me this afternoon. I was kinda wallowing, wasn't I?"

Taking a deep breath, "So you have no interest in Drew?"

"Errr, well, I wouldn't say that exactly. I like the heck out of Drew. He is funny, smart, kind, always thinking of others... he is the most remarkable man I've ever known. But that's not really saying much, my bar is pretty damn low." Taylor laughed just a little.

"But no. I want Drew to be happy and get everything out of life he deserves and I think you are the one to do that. It's not me for darn sure. I think all this has made a change in me, but I still worry the old ways would return and I would mess things up more than likely and I couldn't ever hurt him again like I did.

"So no romantic interest. I'm not sure I'm ever going to want to have sex again after what I've been through, so no threat there. But I don't want either one of you to feel awkward or uncomfortable or feel there's some sort of obligation.

"I did it. I'm the one that fucked my life up every way possible all on my own. But, I'm still standing, ready for a new start, sort of, so does that answer your question?" She wiped her mouth again.

"Yes. Kyra, I think you look like crap and have lost a shit ton of weight. I don't know much, but I know those bones won't heal without the right food. I judge you incompetent and unable to care for yourself so you need to come stay with us until you get better and figure out your next steps."

"I will ask you the same question I asked Drew, why?"

"Why should you stay with us or why would we want to help you?"

"Both."

"Stay with us because we have the room, the price is right, we can afford it and because we both care about you and what happens to you. And why should we help? Look in the friggin' mirror, Kyra! How could anyone just let you wander off into the night? Half your teeth are gone or broken, you're wired shut, you're starving to death, no one in their right mind would hire you... Should I go on?"

Kyra smiled, "No, I'm starting to get the idea. So, you like my new look? Kind of like a Jack-o'-lantern." Looking sadly, "Can't even have a dentist look at it until the wires come off." Tears filled up her eyes, "And no way could I afford it. God, what the fuck have I done with my life?"

"We can help with that. So, what do you say?"

"You drive a tough bargain there, Hodges. I assume you're Hodges now?" She nodded. "I'll do it, but only if you let me contribute as much as I can."

"Deal. Let's drink on it."

"Taylor, I don't drink or anything anymore. Not since..." pointing at her face.

"Good. Neither do I. I found out five minutes before I bumped into you that I'm pregnant."

"Shit! That's why... Oh, Taylor I'm so sorry, I kind of ruined your moment, didn't I?"

"Not to worry, it all worked out fine." She reached into her bag and pulled out a container. "Chicken noodle soup, straight from the diner."

Kyra laughed and shook her head in disbelief. But maybe this was the beginning of step three.

FOURTH OF JULY

Kyra looked around sipping her soft drink. Still clean. No alcohol, no drugs since she'd left Miami. She felt good about herself. She'd come a long way. She was Drew's office manager, sort of. Answered calls, made out his schedules and arranged his trips, did his books, helped him with investments--you name it, she did it.

Her real estate training course was almost done; she had it all planned out--a couple more virtual courses and her business and investment degrees would be completed. And she had 'friends!' For the first time in her life she had women for friends. She still couldn't believe how they had welcomed her, especially Avery. She smiled. Avery, what a character. One of a kind.

But by helping Drew, it worked towards the debt she owed him, but more importantly it freed up Taylor so she could do her student teaching, take more classes, and enjoy being pregnant. Oh, and transform the house into a kidsafe playhouse.

Kyra felt good--healthy. But that exercise crap! She smiled to herself. One by one she was eliminating each type of exercise. Jogging? No way. Walking, fast walking was the best she could do. Yoga? Too slow or something, even with flow yoga. The gym sucked...

Oh, she'd find something, or maybe just go out and act like she'd been out for a run or a walk, throw some water on her face and clothes to make Taylor happy. No rush in finding anything. Her main work was getting her life in shape and rediscovering herself. The rest could wait.

The club house was packed for the 'Annual Fourth of July Pot Luck' get together. The decorations and a zillion flags were in place, the band was playing... She and Taylor and a few others had worked out the details including the band which was playing a combination of oldies, pop, rock and the like. She was proud. She'd been a part of it. Everything had come together so well and people seemed to be having fun.

It was interesting, though. For the first time at an event like this, she wasn't drinking. As the afternoon passed along and the beer and wine flowed, she noted that the conversations got louder and louder; the laughter more frequent and out of proportion. The normal structures of conversation were falling apart.

She'd been one of those. But then she reflected, no, these folks, or most of them, were in the minor leagues. They came, got a buzz, had a good time, went home with their friends or loved ones and then had memories they could relive over and over--share the info and gossip they'd gathered; and laugh about the antics of others...

In her world, the fun had ended when she left the party, or... first thing the next morning when she woke up next to some guy she didn't know, after a night she couldn't really remember.

She chuckled to herself, they talk about the coyote lover where a man would rather chew his arm off like a coyote whose leg is caught in a steel trap, than wake up the horrendous woman he'd spent the night with. Even if she'd been built like an octopus, she'd have had no arms left, that's for sure.

What the fuck! As she thought back, were there any high points? Memories she'd never forget? Not really. She shook her head, but lots of lows, loneliness, and disappointments. Except Drew, and she'd screwed that up from the beginning.

As she looked around she understood why sober people didn't want to be around those who had overindulged. It started to require too much patience and understanding; too much like work. In keeping with that, she could see a few non drinking couples starting to wander home to avoid the growing chaos. But no easy out for her. As a member of the organizing committee she had cleanup duty.

She looked to the other side of the room and shook her head in amazement. There was Taylor in a lively conversation with a group of women--teens to oldsters--probably discussing everything under the sun. Kyra still really struggled with just striking up a conversation with another woman and keeping it going, even her 'friends.'

She'd asked Taylor about it. No politics, no religion except for things going on at the churches, nothing controversial. Just listen and follow up on key words... encourage them to talk about themselves. It was your opportunity to learn about them. Who they were, what kind of work they did, dreams, aspirations, issues... or just talk. Hobbies, trips... and kids. She said there was always something to ask about family or kids.

People loved talking about themselves and their families. They loved that you asked. To Kyra it all seemed superficial and a waste of time, but Taylor had said that it was never a waste of time and you could build relationships--and get some great recipes. Taylor had cracked herself up with that one and Kyra smiled at the recollection. Kyra was getting better at it, but it took practice.

As she watched, Taylor excused herself and went over, gave Drew a kiss and pulled him aside for a dance. A thousand little gestures. Each of them gave each other a thousand little signs of affection every day. A glance, a look, a touch, a quick kiss, a whispered 'I love you.' Always something. They were truly two halves of a single whole.

She smiled as she saw Drew light up. She'd met thousands of men and most of the husbands in the neighborhood; and Drew was by still by far the most remarkable man she'd ever met.

He had so many layers. You'd think that he was just some computer nerd, an artist, but then to hear him talk about Mt. Hood or the Crest Trail or any of the adventures he'd challenged himself with.

She'd been on a few hikes with them, but he wouldn't do anything challenging since Taylor was pregnant. She reflected on the opportunities she'd passed up during their eighteen months. But she was ready now and looking forward to some adventures herself--but likely alone.

She hadn't even thought about dating, sex... hell, she didn't even look at men as she got out and about doing things. Not ready, not looking... maybe one day?

Kyra laughed as Taylor tried to snuggle up close with Drew. Her swollen belly kept them almost at arm's length it seemed. Being with them had really changed her. She still had no idea where she was headed or what she wanted to do with her life, but the frantic, 'relentless, restlessness to fill her half empty life' was gone.

Peace was growing... until she remembered the garage and the fear of being caught gripped her. The look of his face as the bat struck filled her night with nightmares.

The police from Indiana had tracked her down and visited her twice. She'd explained her time line, loss of phone, and the like. She'd already talked to the folks in Miami and the FBI. They didn't seem to be working too hard to solve the case. Just happy that there were no more victims.

Three ladies stepped in front of Kyra and pulled her from her reverie. She recognized her friend. "Oh, hi, Avery."

"Kyra, I think you've met Holly and Iris. They both live right around the corner."

Kyra smiled and reached out her hand to shake theirs as she said, "Great to see you both again. How's that little boy of yours, Iris? Last time I saw you he looked pretty puny."

"Oh, just a cold. Another coughing, snot filled cold that he gave to Walter and I, but we're all better now."

"Nothing worse than a summer cold. I'm still working my way through the directory, so anyone else I need to meet?" They laughed and shook their heads. "The party's going great, don't you think? And Avery, those cup cakes you brought... my goodness, they're delicious."

"Oh, thanks so much. The party is great... and... uh, that's what we we wanted to talk to you about, but first..."

"Is there something..."

"So, we need the scoop on you living with Drew and Taylor. Are you three? You know... no judgment..."

Kyra burst into laughter. "Nope. Nothing to see here, folks. Room and board, uh, and I work for Drew. He helped me get my new choppers." She smiled like on a toothpaste commercial to show all her teeth, "So most of my salary goes to paying him back." Laughing, "And of course bills, bills, bills.

She was thoughtful for a moment, "What's it like? Like a twenty-four hour rom-com with no drama. Two people who are always sunny and upbeat and act like every day is a blessing and part of the honeymoon."

"God, Kyra, that's disgusting. How do you stand it? I mean a woman has to have a bad day and take it out on their kids and hubby, right girls? So no fights, disagreements, pouting, cuss words..."

Kyra shook her head. "Nope, Avery. I've been there seven months or so and nothing."

"Dang! I was hoping to hear about smashing dishes or punchin' holes in the wall or something." They all laughed, "So anyway, Kyra. This little get together you put together, well, it's terrific! We just wanted to say thank you to you and Taylor for all the hard work. This is one of the nicest ones we've ever had."

"Well, thank you. The whole team worked really hard to make it happen... It was my first time with this sort of thing so..."

"No, your ideas and efforts helped make it perfect. And, uh... and that's why we'd like to recruit your help for Labor Day and our Thanksgiving get togethers."

"Really?"

Kyra found that she was proud of herself for the first time... well, in a really long time. Do it, she told herself. "Absolutely! I'd love to, Avery, but on condition that you give me the recipe for those cupcakes." Laughing and lowering her voice as if sharing a secret, "Oh, but I hope it's pretty simple since I can't cook worth a darn. My mom used to say I couldn't boil water or make toast in the toaster."

"Well, just so happens, Mel and I are getting together to cook some for the church on Saturday afternoon. Why don't you join us and I'll walk you through it. We'll make enough for the meet and greet after the sermon, you know, nothin' like a little 'hellfar and brimstone' to make everyone hungry and craving some sweets, and you'll have plenty to share with Taylor, Drew, and, well, whoever."

Kyra froze for a second and fought her immediate response to decline, but then figured just how hard could it be? A few hours. "That sounds great. Just let me know what time. Oh, and what do I need to bring?"

"Will do. Just bring yourself. My treat." Laughing and poking Holly, "I'll buy extra fixin's just in case you need a few practice runs. And thanks again." Kyra was thinking about what had just happened as they continued to talk. She'd actually reached out, made an effort. Maybe she was catching on. Maybe it would be fun, right?

The women all continued to talk with Kyra included in the circle. She mostly listened. With no husband, boyfriend, kids, relatives or those sorts of things, she mostly had the weather or sports to talk about. She was so out of synch with the other women; still in a different stage of her life.

Suddenly, "Whoa now! Now that's a man and a half. Enough to get the juices flowing, eh, ladies?"

"Avery Wilson! You have a lovely husband and two kids!"

"I know. And I'm going over there and start stuffing cupcakes into his mouth to carb load his ass for tonight." Laughing, "My fella is gonna get lucky tonight and will need every bit of his energy for what I have in mind, I guar-on-tee! In fact, he's gonna get sooo lucky that by the end he may not even feel lucky."

The all laughed, "Oh, Avery!"

"Now don't you girls dare tell me that that man doesn't get those juices a'flowin and those devilish thoughts poppin' up into those heads of your all's."

Kyra turned around to look. Avery was right. He was one good looking man. Straight as an arrow, had to be active duty or at least close. Strong, muscular--he surveyed the room like a panther searching for his prey. He saw Taylor and a childish grin filled his face. What was that all about? He took a turn in her direction, but then swiveled his head and locked eyes with Kyra.

Kyra quickly turned away. SHIT! Shit! Shit! SHIT! He looked too familiar. She got pale and felt like she was about to vomit. If he was someone from her past it could ruin everything. She was just starting to feel like she belonged. Please don't come this way. Go see Taylor. Oh, please don't let him be who I think it is... she pictured a man above her.

She looked up to see Avery watching her closely. Damn! That girl can spot dirt a mile away. She could read people like some television detective. "Uh, Kyra? I think you have a visitor."

Suddenly a shadow loomed in her peripheral vision and immediately got her guard up ready to respond. She turned and came face to face with a six two, slim, but muscular guy. He seemed confident, sure of himself, almost cocky. No, definitely cocky. And somehow familiar. Lord how she hoped it wasn't someone the from her past--the last guy she'd been with at Carl's. What were the odds? But then she'd bumped into Taylor...

"Excuse me, ladies. I hate to interrupt, wonderful get together, by the way, but," turning to Kyra, "Ma'am, I wondered if you would do me the honor of having a dance with me?" Maybe he didn't know her. Maybe she still had a chance to stay here. Kyra looked him straight in the face, but didn't answer.

There was something about this guy, he was like a magnet trying to pull her heart from her chest, but she didn't really want to get into any kind of relationship. Not yet. Maybe never. Best to cut it short. She didn't respond.

"Uh... So, anyway, Ma'am, would you care to dance?"

He was being insistent. She had to say something, "So, your cocky ass struts over here like some Mr. Special and insults me twice before you ask me to dance?" She was aware that Avery was giving her a piercing look, but never took her eyes off of his.

A grin filled his face, he shook his head just slightly and lit up. Kyra knew that look--game on! Damn! She realized she'd missed it. Missed being with a man. Not sex, necessarily, just 'the game.' The getting to know you part. "I beg your pardon... Miss. Miss would you care to dance?"

She too came alive. It had been a while and she realized she really did miss it and this guy was good at it. A quick test, "No, thanks, but I'm sure any of these other women would love to dance with you."

Looking around, only at their faces, "Ladies, it would be my pleasure to dance with each and every one of you, if your husbands approved of course," Avery's probing looks immediately went back to this man. He never looked at their hands, but knew. "but, I believe she's the only unattached woman in the neighborhood.

"So, Miss, would you please..."

She smiled and interrupted him, "I only dance to cowboy songs."

He burst out laughing. She liked it. Natural, easy, genuine--not forced at all. "Well, I can pretty much guarantee that there ain't no cowboy songs on this band's playlist or at least you wouldn't recognize it. Oldies, pop, rock... and somehow..."

Together, they both said, "They make every song sound the same." They both laughed.

"Soldier, I don't know for sure, but I suspect you're looking into the eyes of danger there and could be in for a pretty rough ride."

He looked and Avery as she spoke, then back at Kyra, "I'm counting on it. So, Miss, what about that dance?" She continued looking at him. Man. 100% man. He didn't seem tough or rough... although as she peered into his eyes... he was. There was a lot of living buried in those eyes. He was lethal, a weapon--or at least had been.

But he seemed relaxed, easy going, open; and there was just... there was just something about him. But she shook her head no. She was afraid of where that dance might lead.

"So you're one of them."

A half smile moved to her lips. Here it comes. She pushed her lips together and wrinkled her forehead in a frown. She knew this game. Oh how she knew this game. Dodging and weaving, trying to out flank her walls of resistance.... Well, let's start round two.

She smiled again, "One of 'those?'"

"Yeah. One of the girls that's just here to party. You don't want to meet anyone, or at least no one like me. You will refuse to give me your number; make me work for it. And, well, look, it's not like I'm asking you to marry me."

He acted like he was about to cry, "But I've been overseas so long protecting our country, and all alone, far away from my family and none of the women I knew spoke English..."

She smiled and shook her head. "None of the women... you 'knew?"

"Well, not in a biblical sense of course."

"Of course."

He laughed again and shook his head. "It would be kind of a public service."

"A public service..."

"Why sure. I've been risking my life every day to keep you and your family safe and, you know, it's kind of the least you can do..."

"So, it's my civic responsibility to service the troops."

"Precisely."

"I'd be kind of like the USO or something."

"Yes, and I mean I've been wounded, and have a Purple Heart..."

"And I'm assuming that servicing the troops would include letting some smooth talking, cocky assed, full of himself man such as yourself, talk me out of my britches?"

He laughed again. The other women, especially Avery continued to watch this interaction closely and smiled at that. She'd never seen this side of Kyra. Kyra was aware of it, but realized she didn't mind. They were kind of in their own little bubble, a snow globe. Things were going on around her, but all of her focus was on that face.

An awareness grew that his eyes had never left her face. No shopping around. Her walls were starting to relax. What was it about this man? "So, military?" He nodded. "You're sure? Or is that part of the sales pitch?" She knew he was military, everyone knew he'd been in the service. Stiff, upright, well spoken. Just a grin with that one.

"Well, then I guess I have an obligation to thank you for your service, don't I?"

He nodded. "Yes, Miss, I believe it's your patriotic duty."

She smiled at him and saw that boy-like smile in return. "And it is the Fourth of July. Okay, one dance."

"It'll have to be a slow one, uh, my knee's a little banged up." A knowing smile crossed her lips. Sure. Had to be a slow one and those hands would start to wander...

He saw the look on her face. He knew the game too. "But honest, Miss, we can stay separated, like no...," he ran his hands up and down in front of his body, "no, real body contact, well, unless you want. But I should warn you, I have this thing about the backs of beautiful women." She heard the women chuckle.

She smirked. Backs. Who the heck would have come up with that? "Excuse me ladies, I need to welcome this soldier home." A slow song started and she moved right in close and put her arms around his neck--just light touching. He felt hard, solid underneath her arms. She stared into his face, "So how's that back?"

"Perfect, just perfect."

"So when you sing 'Baby Got Back' in the shower, you really mean her back..."

He laughed again and she felt his shoulders move with the laughter as she watched his face. This man needs some laughter. It's been a while.

She tried to maneuver him around since he was just rocking back and forth, but with no success. He continued to look and dance facing the same direction. "So, you don't turn or pivot or anything."

"No. My knee, you know."

"Of course. I've know or have at least seen most of the folks in the neighborhood and I am quite sure I would have remembered seeing you."

"... And dream about me?"

"Kinda getting ahead of yourself aren't you, soldier boy?"

"Sometimes you have to. A boy can dream, can't he? No, just visiting. I snuck in. It's going to be a surprise."

She stopped and pushed back some. "Surprise someone like your wife or girlfriend or something?"

"No, nothing like that."

Kyra glance over his shoulder and noted that Taylor was staring at her--at them. Was she doing something wrong? It was a questioning look, not one of disapproval, but she never looked away. Wait! Taylor was looking at him! Not her.

"Uh, man with no name, do you happen to know a girl named Taylor because she is really boring holes into your back. Is that why you're keeping your back to her and dancing like you're in kindergarten or something?"

He laughed and Kyra watched his face. This guy loved to laugh, you could feel it, but there were some nightmares in there too. "You got me. Here, watch what happens." He whistled like a cock growing. It was loud, very loud.

The band stopped, everything stopped, Taylor's face lit up and a squeal of joy burst from her lips. Breaking her embrace with Drew, she dashed or waddled across the room and jumped up on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and knees pinning his waist.

"TYLER! YOU'RE HOME!" His knee gave out with the impact and the three toppled forward onto the floor. He landed easily on his hands, switched to his forearms and pressed some weight against Kyra as they looked face to face. "Tyler! Why didn't you call or write, or anything! Mother said if I heard from you or saw you I should read you the riot act..."

He ignored her for the moment and looked at Kyra. "Well, I figured it would take a date or two to end up in this position with you. I kind of like it here."

She looked at him and smiled, then sarcastically, but with a little teasing added, "A date or two! I thought you liked backs, Tyyyyyler?"

"I don't think there's a single part of you I wouldn't like." Taylor had scrambled off with Avery's help and was watching them along with everyone else.

She smiled again. "In that case you better get off me before you embarrass yourself. And, I swear, if you get my new shorts wet..."

He burst out laughing and Kyra glanced over his shoulder. Not only was everyone gathered around, but she saw Taylor looking at her with fear, concern, judgement, disapproval. Tears sprang to her eyes."Tyler! Get the fuck off me now!"

She got up as the tears started to flow and she stared at Taylor. "And don't worry, Taylor. I'm leaving! I should have left a while back so you don't have to worry about Tyler dragging the black sheep anywhere with you."

"Kyra, wait! I..."

Tears flowing, she ran to the exit. Tyler looked at Taylor like what the hell? Taylor was horrified at what had happened and both ran out the door and after her. Tyler caught her first and grabbed her arm with a steely grip, but by the time he got there he was hobbling somewhat. "Kyra! Stop! What's the matter?"

"I'm a despicable person with a horrible, disgusting past. If you knew any of it you'd be horrified and want no part of me. It's better that I leave and you enjoy your visit or whatever it is.

"I've changed and I will never, be what or who I was, do what I did, or do to someone what I did to Drew, but it doesn't matter because... because I've done too many unforgivable things, Tyler. No man. No man should have a woman like me. So," mopping her face with her hands, "I'm just going to leave."

"Actually... I've been thinking about finding a woman who's about as messed up as I am and that sounded like just about as messed up so I'm thinkin' you're just the kind of woman I was looking for."

"Bullshit!"

"And we could kinda see if we could fix each other; fill in the empty spots; the gaps; understand each other. You have an ugly past, I have an ugly past. No problem." Tyler wiped a tear from her lid, then slid around to the outside of her orbit. "Plates. You had a broken face."

She nodded. "That's what my fantasy got me. I still look so ugly."

"Hell, Kyra. If you're ugly now, I would have gotten your pants wet for sure if I'd seen you before." She blushed, but he took her index finger and rubbed it across his own plates. "And there are plenty more where that came from."

She stared at him, "Me too, I mean I have a lot more plates..."

"And like you, I was far, far better looking before. But, actually, in my case, it was probably a good thing because I was just waaaay too damn good looking before. It wasn't right." Kyra just shook her head at him and continued to stare. What was it about him? Why was she attracted? Why didn't she just tell him to fuck off and leave? What was the irresistible pull she felt?

Taylor came up huffing and puffing. Her baby bump was big enough to really slow her down. "Kyra! Please! I am so sorry! I..."

"... Didn't mean to show your real feelings on your face? You know you can't hide anything, Taylor. So it's out in the open. I get it. But, why? Why do you give a shit about him? Or was it just because I was lying on my back causing a scene? I don't get it. Who the hell are you, Tyler?"

"Her brother."

"What! Well, at least that's a relief. I was scared to death you were some guy from my past that I didn't remember. You looked familiar 'cause you looked like Taylor. Taylor, I'm driving into town to stay at the hotel. I'll swing by and pack up my things tomorrow. Sorry to wreck the homecoming. Sorry to wreck the party and cause such a commotion. Damn, they'll never stop talking about this."

Taylor stepped forward and squeezed her into a hug as best she could with her belly in the way. Kyra struggled to get away and continued to cry. "No! Kyra. I'm sorry. So sorry. You need to stay; you have to stay. You're my friend. I love having you around. I... I, shit, Kyra. It just caught me off guard. I haven't seen my stupid brother for almost four years and he completely ignores me and then he's on the floor..."

"You put us there, Sis."

Ignoring him, "I don't know, Kyra. I... I... All I know is you can't leave. And if you and my brother want to date or whatever, it's fine. And I would be proud to take you home to Mother. You are a great, wonderful person. Please! Please forgive me and stay. I... Fuck!"

"Kyra, she must really mean it, 'cause as you know, she never cusses."

"Date him? Why the fuck would I date you, Tyler? I don't even know if I like your cocky ass!" She just started sobbing again. "Taylor, I am such a mess and you two have done so much for me. If you even knew half of what I've done, the life I've led, you'd be scared to death of me and throw me out. I..."

"NO! You! Are! Staying!"

"But I should have left anyway. You two haven't been married that long... and the baby... You need your space and I'm in the way. It's not right. And no way am I moving in with Maggie. Too much 'good advice' flows from that fountain all the time."

"We can figure it out. We have time."

"We don't have much time. You look like that alien is about to rip a hole in your belly and escape at any moment."

"You can live with me until you get on your feet." Both women pulled apart and stared at him.

Skeptically, "In Mississippi?"

"No, Tay. I have a job at... well, at this center near here and will have to get my own place and stuff. No way am I moving in with my kid sister," winking. "And, no, Kyra, that does not mean you'd have to let me touch your back." Kyra smiled, just a little as she mopped more tears. Taylor just stared at him. Back?

"But what about going home?"

"I have to go home to visit and say hi. In fact, I thought I would head down there Friday and see what's what. I don't start for a few weeks, but I can't stay there." Sounding aristocratic and formal, "Father," resuming his normal speech " will hot box me all the time to join the business and no way could I ever do that. And all the friggin' relatives... Heck, I'd have to... well, I guess I can't reenlist."

"What! What did you do?"

"Well, not me, exactly. I... well on my last adventure I got a little banged up and they tossed me out."

"WHAT? Are you okay? What do we have to do? Is that why you're walking so weird?"

"Easy, Tay. I'm fine. I, well, I have a new knee is all." Looking at Kyra, "And my face got messed up so I'm not as handsome, you've probably noticed, oh, and now I like backs. I don't know." He threw his arms up in bafflement. "Makes no sense." That got a smile out of Kyra as she shook her head and Taylor just looked at him not understanding.

"So, Taylor! You should come with me and surprise everyone. I know Mother is probably dying to see you pregnant and we won't tell her that I'm there too! It'll be great! Hell, you could bring Drew, I'll bring Kyra--it'll be like a family outing."

Whispering, "And I won't have to face the firing squad alone. Please! Well, at least think about it. Now, where the heck is this Drew guy who knocked up my little sister? At least he married you first."

Scolding, "Tyler!"

"No, you look great, little Sis. Don't I get a hug after my harrowing trip home from, well, from, uh, over there?" She scrambled forward and squeezed him.

"I've missed you so much, Tyler. And, you never call, text, email. Almost never! I fretted about you all the time--every day! And your behavior today has really not been helpful. But, dang I missed you. It was three against one after you left so I headed for the wild, wild, west. At least Terry helped me."

"And I missed you, little Sis. Sorry about texting, but your texts and emails kept me going. I mostly got lectures about wasting my life and letting the family down, etc., etc. from the rest of the family. So do we need to go back to the party and clean up and stuff? I heard them ladies telling Kyra what a great job you all did on the get together."

"I'm kind of afraid to go back in there, but I guess we have to until five or six so we can put the place back together."

"Oh, it'll be great. So, I'll take the couch tonight. Kyra, you and I can look for a place tomorrow." And he walked off back towards the club house.

Kyra and Taylor looked at him and then each other. "What the hell is happening, Taylor? Is he always like that?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I mean, he's been gone almost all the time for eight years. I haven't seen him for four--and that was just a week before he got called back. I was like thirteen or fourteen when he left and you know, kind of oblivious. Teresa got married and moved, but it was Tyler and I against the other three. Brutal.

"I was almost certain that was him, but he never turned around. And he walked over and started flirting with you, a woman he'd never met, instead of me. Kyra! I've worried about him and missed him every single day. Then the two of you fall down and instead of springing up he lays on top of you and makes off colored remarks...

"And you, instead of pushing him off, just smile and look at him--in front of all our friends and neighbors! And their kids! I guess I was just upset and... but anyway, I need to apologize again."

"It's fine. I... well the whole darn thing just caught me off guard too." They hugged again. "But please, Taylor, I have absolutely no idea what is going through that skull of his, it makes no sense whatsoever, but if something comes of it, and there's no reason it should, I will never do to him what I did to Drew. Never. I'd call it quits before anyone new entered the picture." Taylor nodded.

Tyler yelled back over his shoulder, "Come on, Kyra. They're playing a cowboy song. And I need some more back."

Kyra laughed and shook her head. The two women looked at each other. "Long story, Taylor." Kyra hugged her. "It's okay, Mom. I'll try and do better, but not sure I can do anything about his cocky ass."

Taylor gasped and pushed her away. "Oh, my God! I sounded just like my mother, didn't I? I'm too young to sound like my mother."

Patting Taylor's baby bump, then snidely, "There, there, Taylor. It's just the hormones."

"You ass. Maybe you do have to go," but reached out and squeezed her hand. "But, Kyra, I'm concerned. He still has hardly said anything to me. After four years! And we've always been so close. I don't know, but maybe there's something wrong with him... or he's just changed a lot in the last four years?" A sad look filled her face, "But either way, you have to stay, Kyra." Still holding her arm, "I don't want you to leave. Please!"

"I'm not leaving town, I have a baking lesson with Avery."

"You're getting a baking lesson from Avery?"

"Yeah, I'm getting the recipe for the cupcakes and she's insisted I come over with some others to learn how. So, don't worry. I'm not leaving town, but... I have to leave the house."

Holding up her hand to stop further discussion, "Taylor, you need to get the bedroom ready for the baby; turn it into a nursery. You can't do that while I'm in it and you're running out of time.

"Getting a place with your brother is kind of scary, although it might be a hell of a trip. Maybe I can stay at Maggie's for a bit, gag, until I get squared away and just put up with the motherly advice."

Looking at her, "Okay, but we'll make it work, Kyra." Shaking her head, "But did you have to say, 'Get goo on your new shorts?' You had to say that?"

"Well, Miss Potty Mouth. I said 'get my shorts wet, not get goo on them. You know if you're going to have little ones running around the house, you're really going to have to watch your mouth."

Hugging her for a moment, "You're a jerk, and I'm pretty sure I'm right."

Laughing, "Come on, Taylor. Let's go see what Tyler and Drew are up to and limit the damage. Oh, and just so you know, maybe I was going to make them wet, not Tyler."

Laughing in return, "You pig."

As they walked through the door they saw Tyler with his arm on Drew's shoulder with a cluster of men and all were laughing. "And you should have seen the look on Taylor's face when that curtain went up." All the men were laughing, "And then..."

Taylor started turning red, "Oh, shit! I have to put an end to this immediately. Not that story..." But just then Tyler looked up and saw Kyra.

"Sorry, Gents, to be continued, I have to finish my dance that got interrupted. Drew, great meeting you and catch up with you later."

He approached Kyra, but Taylor grabbed his sleeve. "Tyler! What the heck are you doing telling stories like that about me? You can't..."

"I can't let them know what a great kid you were? How much fun? All the trouble we stirred up? You don't have to be perfect, do everything right. That's Mother's role. It makes you more human, more likable. Please, don't become Thomas. Don't live in an angry world dominated by the need to be perfect. I can tell you, life is too short--way too short."

Taylor was just looking at him as his words sank in. Before she could speak, "Now you go find Drew and dance with his ass. Look how lonely he looks over there. Like a little lost puppy. Now run along, Little Sis. Enjoy the moment you have, not the future you may not have. I have a dance to finish."

Taking Kyra's hand, "Well, hello, beautiful. I believe we have a dance to finish."

"Tyler..."

He pulled her into a tight embrace and started his back and forth. She pushed back from him and looked at his face. She waved her hand up and down between them, "What about that 'space' you were talking about?"

Hitting her with his boyish grin, "Oh, Kyra, we're way beyond that." He pulled her close again and and she relaxed against him. One song, then a second. His hands stayed where they should. Never wandered where they shouldn't. The third started and he twirled her out with his left hand and upon her return, his right hand slid across her back. Suddenly she realized that he had somehow unhooked her bra.

She stopped, and impatiently, "Tyler!" But before she could say anything else, he again raised her arm and spun her around. She resisted, but was forced to spin. Her arm rose above her head and both breasts popped out the bottom of the bra. As he forcefully spun her back, she stopped and stared at him.

She knew she was exposed; she felt her nipples pressing on the thin fabric of her white summer shirt. "Tyler, you absolutely had to do that?"

Looking at her chest, "Perfect, just perfect. I knew they would be."

Looking exasperated and with a whine in her voice, "Tyler, you may not have noticed, but I'm kind of having a rough afternoon. How about taking it easy on me. I'm just not ready for... And quit that fuckin' grinning. I'll bet you got away with murder using that."

He winced slightly at that as his grin faltered for a moment. She noticed and her heart went out to him, but, "I should punch you in those cute little..." oh so kissable, she thought to herself, "lips of yours..." staring intently at him, "But I'd never land a punch unless you let me, right?" He shrugged.

She let out a deep breath of surrender and the slightest grin hit the corner of her mouth as she started walking past him. "You're an ass, Tyler Richards. Just like Taylor said you were."

"My little Sis, never said that."

She grinned, "No she didn't. But she should have." He laughed. "I'll be back in a bit."

She walked to the restroom to put things back together. Avery followed her in. As Kyra looked in the mirror and was pulling her bra down to recapture her breasts, she heard a wry laugh beside her. "That was quite a dance move there, Kyra. Can't say I ever saw that one before."

Laughing heartily, "Hell! I can't believe he could do it. Married four years and that hubby of mine still can't unhook the dang thing. If I didn't take it off, we'd make love with it on every time. I tried the front clips and it was still a no go.

"You know there's just something exciting about a man taking your clothes off bit by bit, don't ya think? I mean the anticipation... Sometimes I would put on extra layers..."

"Yeah, in self defense, right? But other times..." They both laughed.

"Anyway, I just happened to notice that when you turned and first saw him you kinda went all white and got real scared looking. I know that look, that feeling. You were afraid you knew him... a ghost of the past you didn't want to remember."

"Avery, he just looked like someone I knew..."

"But that wasn't the look you'd have had if he were an ex-, or some guy you had sex with at two a. m. in the bathroom, or that guy whose name you can't remember who you woke up next to with a headache. No, it was worse. Something that could bring the house down...

"Avery, I don't want..."

"To leave the bathroom with out telling Avery. Might as well tell me. I'll find out."

Would this afternoon ever end? There was just too much going on. Fuck. She was leaving anyway. "Okay. Dammit, Avery, I thought he was a... uh... client."

Avery laughed aloud. A joyous laugh, no judgment. "I knew it! So you were a... shall we say, lady of the evening?"

"Or whore would do too." Avery was laughing hard enough she had tears. Her tears of joy reflected, Kyra's tears of sadness. "What is so fucking funny, Avery? I got into a lot of trouble and it seemed like my only or at least best way out. It was a couple years ago and for only a few months. I know, baking lesson is off. Stay away from the girls."

"Are you shittin' me? I'm going out there and tell Mel and the others they can't come. I want you all to myself." Avery stepped forward and hugged her. "No way, Kyra. Look, my momma said, well she still says," rolling her eyes, "over and over and over again, that we all are two sides of a coin that's been lost out in the yard. One side can get tarnished and dirty from laying face down in the dirt and covered with all the bad stuff we've done."

Holding her at arms length with her hands on her shoulders and looking at her eye to eye, "And we can keep that side up or we can flip the coin over to the clean side. The side that's been facing the sun and cleaned by the rain and be the kind of person we want to be. I'll tell you, Girlie, that dirty side of mine was face down in a cow pie. How the hell do you think I recognized that look?

"If my hubby had any inkling of the gal I was before I met him... shit, his hair would turn gray and stand on end like in one of those old black and white movies. I've been scared shitless when I thought I recognized someone." Laughing again, "Now I'll confess, I never charged for my services, but, you know, when I think about it, the dinners, gifts, weekend trips, vacations..." Laughing gaily, "Hell, I probably made more money than you did. No offense of course."

"Of course not." This certainly wasn't going the way Kyra expected. She was uncertain how to feel; her head was spinning.

Avery put her arm around Kyra's shoulder and moved her head close like a conspirator, "So how was it? Was it like in the movies? You know like the one with that really good looking guy and the girl who was like in one of her first movies. She gets hired and they fall in love?"

Sarcastically, "Oh, yeah, that one. Must have missed it."

"No, really! What was it like?"

Now Kyra finally relaxed and chuckled. "No, absolutely nothing like that. No romance. Nothing of movie quality. It was mostly grope grope, squish squish, pole in the hole, done. Then the whining and begging for freebies."

"Yeah, but the hunks..."

"That's movies, Avery. The hunks don't need to pay for it. It's the fat, skinny, ugly, old."

"Dang, I never thought of that. Makes sense though. I feel a little vomit in the back of my throat."

"The only fun ones were the first timers. They always got a bunch of freebies and a hell of a night."

"And you probably wrecked it for all the women in their future."

"Hadn't thought of that, but hell, that was true for every guy I was with."

Laughing, "Your eyes are a turnin' brown, there, Missie, you're so full of shit." Winking, "Although it probably was true for me."

They both laughed, but then pain filled Kyra's face, "So go ahead and tell everyone. I'm leaving anyway."

"What? No! I ain't telling a soul, but you can't leave. We're like kindred spirits or something."

"I have to go. Taylor has the baby coming, I feel like the third wheel... you know."

"I get it. But you can't go far and we have to stay close. Hell, as president I'll make you an honorary member. The other ladies like the hell out of you too, Kyra. Your shiny side really sparkles. And no, this is just our little secret. Lips, sealed.

"Okay, so we have one more thing to discuss." She looked at her with a naughty grin on her face, "I saw that look on your all's faces and I will bet you ten bucks that by twelve ohh-clock, midnight, that soldier guy is in your bed and letting you have it."

"No way! With Taylor in the next room! You're on."

"We'll see. Better have that ten spot ready to change owners. So what about Taylor's tarnished side. She was in Vegas with you..."

Kyra shook her head and laughed. "Are you kidding me? Taylor? Both of her sides are sparkly clean, Avery. It's like you flipped the coin and it landed on edge on a marble counter top."

"Damn, I knew it. Very disappointing. I was hoping she was one of us, but that's what I figured. I've worked on her and there's never been a sign of anything in her past. Pretty nice for a good girl though, don't you think?"

"Absolutely! She has helped me so much and I was ready, but she, well, and Drew,, made it possible to flip my coin over." Kyra turned and hugged Avery. "Thanks, Avery. Thank you for being a friend and... well, for everything."

"My pleasure." Rubbing her eye, " Quit trying to make me all teary eyed. Com' on. Let's get back out there. You've got to go see Captain Dangerous and I've got to go carb load my honey." Scolding, "And no more dirty dancing. This is a family affair. Oh... and no sneakin' out early with Handsome, you've got cleanup duty."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"God, don't call me that. Makes me feel so old." They both laughed.

"I know it's just ten and I still have so many questions that you won't answer, Tyler! But this pregnant lady is pooped and I have to go to bed. You coming, Drew?"

"Yup. I'm tired too. You both should stay up if you want."

"No, I'll make up Tyler's bed on the couch then I'm going to take a quick shower and call it a day. I can't believe how much there was to clean up. Wore me out. Next year we'll have to figure out a different way to do it." If I'm anywhere near here she thought sadly. "Where are those scratchy old blankets you were going to throw out, Taylor?"

Tyler grinned. They were giving him crap. It felt good, like his buddies in the service, like home. "Oh, don't go out of your way on my account. Here Tay, give me a hug. It is so fabulous to see you and I am so happy for you. Drew, great meeting you and thanks for keeping my sister on the straight and narrow."

"My pleasure. But's it's been hard sometimes... you know..."

Taylor swatted his arm. "Maybe you need to be on a couch tonight. See you all in the morning."

Kyra grabbed some sheets and a sleeping bag, opened it up and put them on the couch along with a couple of pillows. "There you are, Tyler. Need anything else?"

"Just more time with you. Stay up a while."

"Uh, uh. No way. I know how that works. Not doing it. See you in the morning. Oh, and I'm locking the bathroom door and then the bedroom door. Sleep tight, Tyler. Pleasant dreams."

"They'll all be about you, Kyra."

"Whatever makes you happy, but don't mess the sleeping bag, I don't want to wash it." He grinned. "See you in the morning, Tyler. Dancing was...'interesting.' Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Kyra fell asleep and almost immediately was engulfed in another dream of the police chasing her and gaining on her. She was about to wake up, the same place every time she had the dream when she felt the covers move. Instantly awake, she felt Tyler slide into the bed.

Before she could say a word he pulled her to him. Body to body. She wasn't certain how to respond, but didn't try to resist. As he squeezed her tightly against himself she noted he was already hard. His penis shoved against her pubis and lower belly calling out for attention.

Without thinking she shoved her hand between their two bodies and gripped it. He started rocking it back and forth within her hand and she moaned. "I need you Kyra. And you need me, I can feel it."

"Tyler..." Her protest was smothered with a kiss and she felt herself ramping up. Maybe, just maybe. His kiss was hard, firm, his tongue insistent. She tried to take control, but he wouldn't have it--not with the kiss, not with any of it. He squeezed her tightly against himself; hard enough to force her breath out.

His hand grabbed her breast--kneading, pulling, twisting her nipple. Hard, rough, but no pain. Just excitement. She could feel his need. She could feel how much he wanted her. She exploded with passion, excitement and her need matched his. One hand massaged his cock, the other explored his body. Hard, muscular--man, all man. She vaguely heard herself making animal noises, so lost was she in a world of sensations and need. Nothing else existed.

His mouth replaced his hand on her breast and he sucked and pulled. A finger, then a second slid between her thighs and then inside. Hard, fast. He pushed them in as far as he could, the first web of his hand shoving against her clit. A small wave of of sensation rippled through her as she had her first small orgasm--just a warm up.

Caught up in his own need, not caring about lengthy 'getting to know you' preliminaries, he rolled her onto her back, pried her legs apart and pushed his penis against her opening. She reached down to help and his hand grabbed her butt and pulled her up, sinking his cock to the hilt.

She heard noises as he sank down on top of her and started. Hard, pounding, seemingly only interested in his own needs, but knowing that she was responding and right there with him.

He lowered his head and bit her ear lobe and squeezed her against himself as if he were trying to merge into one. She was on fire. She felt like an animal--no thought, just need, an insatiable need for release. She grabbed his buttocks and pulled herself against him with each downward push. Slamming together, she was breathing hard and grunting with each thrust.

And then it started to build, slowly at first and then a little faster. He grunted and lost his rhythm and she felt him falter as he came with a groan in the back of his throat. NO! No, no, no.

She was so close, so close. Just as he had muscled her, using her strength she squeezed him to herself and rolled him over without losing penetration. Now on top, she was in control.

Damn! She was close, so close. The one she'd been searching for; the one she knew was in her, but no man had ever helped her reach. She started pounding down on him--hard, brutal, driven by need--and he was right with her.

Hands on her butt, he helped slam her against his pubis, her clit sliding across him with each thrust. A finger slid into her back door, she felt the sensations accelerating, and vaguely heard herself grunting with each thrust. She growled as she used him for her own satisfaction. Dammit! She was so close.

He bent up and bit her nipple as a second finger entered her and then her world shrank to her groin as the tidal wave of sensation started building, building. This was it! This was it! This was what she'd been searching for, waiting for with every sexual encounter since her first...

Groaning, she let out a pinched scream as she was was engulfed with wave the huge wave that wiped out all thought. Her pelvis was slammed hard against him and she rocked around no longer able to move. Groaning, she never wanted it to end, this was the orgasm she'd been hunting for.

Her world was engulfed by the feelings between her legs, spreading out to the rest of her. But slowly it dampened off and faded, leaving small ripples of pleasure behind. She fell face forward against his chest and lay there panting.

"Holy shit, Tyler. What the hell was that?"

"Hell, I don't know. I was starting to fear for my life. I feel like I've been ridden hard and put up wet."

She looked up towards his face and patted his cheek. "Oh, my poor baby. You are kind of sweaty. We're going to need to get you in shape."

"I think a lot of that is yours and I feel like those claws of yours have ripped me in a dozen places."

"What?" She pushed up with him still in her and looked at the scratches on his chest where she had squeezed handfuls of flesh. "Oh, my God, Tyler, I... I didn't realize I was doing that. I'm sorry!"

"So I'm taking it that my performance was at least satisfactory?"

Lying back down on his chest, "It was perfect, just perfect. Thank you for your service, soldier. But we are going to have to get you into better shape."

He laughed. "Happy to oblige."

She pushed herself back up and looked into his eyes. "Tyler? What are we doing? I mean I don't know anything about you, you don't know anything about me? And Taylor's going to freak out. And your family?"

He pulled her face to his and kissed her. She sighed with pleasure. His lips were just right. "I think I just learned everything I need to know. We need each other, Kyra. We're a match. The rest will come."

"I don't know. There's a lot..."

"It's okay, Kyra. More importantly," flashing his little boy grin, "do you know any other tricks?"

Smiling wickedly, "Oh, Tyler, I know so many tricks. Now get out, you can't sleep here. I'm tired, Taylor's going to be really in a tizz, and I actually have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Besides, you piss me off; you just cost me ten bucks."

"What?"

"Never mind, it was worth it. Now give me a kiss. NO! No hands, and don't you start moving that thing again." She tried to climb off him, but he held her tight. She felt it growing bigger and starting to move and she no longer wanted him to leave. She wanted him to stay right there-- forever.

She slowly, carefully twisted the door knob and opened the door. It was a waste of time, she was sure. He probably awakened with the first twist of the knob. She opened it and he appeared to be sleeping on the couch where she had banished him just a few hours before.

It was early, but her head was spinning with thoughts, feeling, emotions. On the one hand he was the first man to fulfill her dream. Hard, rough, filled with need--his need for her, for her body, to fulfill his own needs perfectly matching her need for him.

Her groin still rippled with the memory of the orgasms--the orgasms she had chased to no avail at least since college. She had always known the man was out there somewhere and here he was.

But he knew nothing of her past and all the things she had done that she was so ashamed of and he was Taylor's brother and she knew, or at least knew some of it. He had gotten a number of medals or citations or whatever they were and was probably squeaky clean as well... even though he said he was looking for someone as messed up as he.

She'd replaced Taylor as Drew's assistant. She did the phone, scheduling, bookkeeping, business errands and even guided his investments so Taylor could concentrate on school and practice teaching. She was acing her real estate course so she could get her license, was taking virtual investment and business courses on line... but her job history... in short she had nothing to show for all her time since college so not real employable.

As she tip toed towards the door, she decided to test her theory, and sure enough, a hand slid up the inside of her thigh as she walked past. She swatted it away with a smile. "I knew it! I knew you were just playing possum."

He grinned, "Where are you going, beautiful?"

"I'm going out for a run. I need to clear my head. You have me so fucking confused I could just punch you in that lovely grinning face of yours."

"Yeah, running's good for that. You kind of get in the zone, your mind clears, and the hormones bring some calm. I miss it... a lot."

"I think you've got it all wrong. My mind is filled with trying to get enough air into my lungs, how much my thighs ache, the feeling of nausea, and the overwhelming hate I have for jogging. It wipes out all other thoughts."

He laughed. "Well, whatever works. So, how was last night?"

Trying to hide a smile, "It was fine."

"Fine! You said it was perfect."

"She gently touched his face and looked him in the eyes, "That's okay Tyler. I say that to all the guys so they feel better about themselves. You know how fragile men's ego's can be when it comes to..." She pointed to his groin. "You'll get better, it's probably been a while, and with the surgery and all."

He laughed, "Not sure we can practice getting any bigger, I mean I expected... well, that's okay, it is what it is. It's not now big it is... But I had this itch way up..."

He grinned at her again, "Ouch, but I'm pretty sure I scratched that itch or do you always scream like a banshee and growl like wild animal?"

"I usually make a lot more noise." He laughed. "Now where's your wallet. I need ten dollars in case I see Avery. It's your fault I lost it."

"It was worth it. You're worth a lot more." She flinched slightly, thinking of Carl's. God, if he ever found out... He pointed to his pants.

She pulled out his wallet and opened it, "Holy shit! What'd you do, rob a bank or something? What's with all the cash?"

"I figured I was moving, I was in the hospital and tied up the whole time I've been stateside, I don't have an address so I couldn't get a charge card or anything," he shrugged, "so it seemed to make sense to take a chunk of it out until I got settled. I don't know."

"So, Monday... No, that's the Fourth, so Tuesday we go to the bank..."

"And look for a place to live..."

"Tyler, we have to talk some first. Gotta go." She bent over and gave him a quick kiss and swatted his hand away. "I swear, you're like a friggin' high school kid."

"Can't help it, it's just that I've sacrificed so much to keep my country safe and I need to heal, to get better, it's been a while, and what with the surgery and all..."

"You're an ass." She kissed him again. "See you in a bit, pay no attention to the sirens, it's just the rescue squad resuscitating me."

She was huffing her way, red faced, up the last hill and was mulling over last night in her head. Why was it so wonderful? Why was Tyler able give her that magic orgasm? Be the guy she'd been searching for since the first time?

As she thought about it as she panted. There was Drew. Drew made love to her. Kind, loving, caring, gentle, focusing on her and trying his best to make her happy... satisfied. Then there were the others, so many others, that just fucked her. If she she enjoyed it--great. If she got her rocks off--great. But they really didn't give a shit.

And then, of course, there were the mashers that wanted to make it hurt. Treat her like shit, leave marks, something to remember them by one of them had said. They were a fucked up crew. The worst among them had been the Indiana guy that tried to kill her.

And then there was Tyler. He fucked her, hard and with gusto, but did it with caring. He squeezed and mashed, but no pain, no marks. He wanted his and used her to get it, but he ensured she was in synch with him.

God, she didn't think she had ever been that turned on, that excited, filled with that much need--except for about a minute in Miami. But with Tyler... shit, she was out of control. He was right, most of the sweat was hers. What the hell?

She chuckled to herself. She should write a book. 'Care Fucking' just didn't get it. 'Fucking with Love'? No, Love Fuck or Love Fucking. People might get the wrong idea of that second one. She chuckled again.

Then she panicked and stopped dead. What if it were a one time deal? What if it was never magical again? Damn, what if she never had another orgasm like that. NO! She could feel it. The fear inside. This is when she always took off, ran, moved somewhere else. And, dammit, she wasn't going to do it this time. She was staying. She smiled. What did Avery say about having to train up her husband?

If she had to, she would work Tyler's ass to death to make it happen again--but she didn't think she'd have to. There was just something there. She wasn't ready for this, but his pull was so strong she knew if she left she would always regret it. NO MORE SELF SABOTAGE!

But then she worried about her past. If he found out about Vegas--if he found out she was a murderer! Shit! So much for a nice, relaxing, feel like puking trudge around the neighborhood.

She turned left into their road and when she glanced up she saw Avery. She grinned to herself, buried all her thoughts and prepared to ignore her and just run passed, but...

"YOU! STOP! Get those damn things out of your ears and don't you dare try to run past me without handing me my ten bucks, you wanton slut!"

"What makes you think..."

"Don't give me that shit, Kyra. Out here running first thing in the morning. You had some thinkin' to do."

Smiling, "So what are you doing out here so early, Avery?"

"I'm afraid I broke my honey last night, so I gathered up the girls and took 'em outside so's he could sleep. He ran out of carbs about half way through and was kind of running on empty."

Laughing, "Avery! I can't believe you did that to the poor man."

Looking shame faced and shuffling her foot on the sidewalk like a little kid, "I had some needs that needed to be met," and shrugged. "But it's your friggin' boyfriend who's responsible. Don't blame me! And quit trying to shift the conversation to me! Soooo, how the fuck was soldier boy?"

"Perfect, wonderful, something I've dreamed about my whole life and my orgasms were out of this world!"

"You're full of shit! No man's like that until you get 'im trained up. Or you're so much in love that you get your rocks when he touches you. So quit lying to me."

"Maybe that's it. Hell, Avery, I don't know. It was like all the puzzle pieces suddenly fit together... it was magical."

"Fuck you, Kyra. Here, would you watch the girls for like a couple of hours?" Kyra looked at her questioningly, "I need to wake up my husband and put him to work again. He's gonna hate you and Tyler." They both laughed and Avery hugged her, "You got it bad, girl, doncha? He seems like a good guy though. You scurry on home and make that boy some coffee and pancakes or something."

She grabbed her as she started to move on, "Wait! Aren't you forgetting something? Where's that ten spot?" Kyra dug in her pocket and handed her five dollars." She took it and looked at it, "Gross! It's all soggy. And as I recall, our agreement was ten dollars."

"He came in at a quarter after. By rights, I shouldn't give you anything."

She laughed and slapped her thigh, "Well, I'll be... You better make sure you take a shower before you get that coffee and pancakes."

Taylor walked out of the bedroom after giving Drew a peck on the top of his head. He was already in front of the computer working on something. They'd had a busy, wonderful night together although she was kind of limited with the basketball she had on her belly, but they'd had no choice because they had to listen to the noise from down the hall.

She walked out and saw Tyler. "Tyler! You two are both jerks! If you two were going to mess around you could at least be quiet about it! And just what the hell were you two doing?"

Grinning, "What, do you want a, uh, blow by blow description, Sis?"

"No, smart ass, but what the hell happened to Kyra? I've never heard anything like it."

"She said she usually makes more noise, but she told me I'm probably just out of practice and I've been in the hospital and stuff."

Taylor laughed aloud. "That girl cracks me up. Did she really tell you that?"

"Yup. This morning to be exact. Plus I was a lot smaller than she'd expected."

She laughed more, "Well, I can certainly believe that."

"Thanks, Sis. Where's Drew?"

"Working. He gets inspiration and then has to get it out. He could be a while. Where's Kyra?"

"Out for a run. She had to clear her head."

"A run? She swore she was never doing it again!" He shrugged. "Tyler, I know you dated about a thousand girls in high school, but be careful with her, okay? She seems tough, but I think she's very breakable. I don't know the details of what happened to her face, but she wakes up yelling at night and she's like always looking over her shoulder for someone or something. She sits there and suddenly starts tapping her foot and getting all fidgety. Maybe it's me, maybe it's being here with Drew--more about that later--or maybe it's just being here with both of us. I don't know, she's nervous about something, but keeps it hidden. So, please be gentle."

"She's something special, Taylor. Don't know what it is about her. It's like we're kindred spirits or something. We both have some big holes that need to be filled and maybe we can do it for each other. I mean, I don't know, it's like I was instantly drawn to her, like one of those stupid past lives things in those crazy movies you and mom used to watch all the time.

"So, I may screw things up, as you recall, I'm pretty good at that, but I would never intentionally do anything to mess her up. My fear is she'll get spooked and hurt me."

Just then the front door opened and and Kyra walked in looking wet and bedraggled. "Have a nice run, Sweetie?"

She looked at him and shook her head. "Fuck you, Tyler. You know I didn't." He grinned and Taylor laughed. "Taylor, I'm sorry for last night. It was inappropriate and... well, it wasn't right. And it's all his friggin' fault." pointing at Tyler, "Sneakin' into my room with no clothes on at midnight! Anyway, I'm sorry. And wipe that fuckin' grin off your face, Tyler."

"Guess you should have kept your door locked."

"You know damn well my door was locked. How the hell did you break in anyway?"

"Your door has one of those releases so if the kid gets stuck in there you can just take that little thing down from the top of the jam and pop it in the hole. The rest was... monumental."

"Yeah, for you maybe. Gettin' sweat all over my bed! It felt like I was sleeping in a swamp!"

"I believe..."

"Not sure I would complete that sentence." He grinned.

Taylor continued to chuckle at the interchange. She stepped forward and hugged her. "It's fine, Kyra. Maggie told me how much noise you used to make."

"WHAT! Oh, shit! I'm not sure that was something to be shared..." Her face turned even redder than it was from jogging. "Now I'm really sorry."

"Not a problem." Speaking lowly, "In fact, thank you. You got Drew all fired up and it was a great night for me, sorry you had to find out how small my brother is, it runs in the family."

Tyler had been watching Kyra's face trying to sort out what they were referring to. Surely not Drew and Kyra? "Nice, Tay. Okay, so I need to go see the family."

"That's great, Tyler. The sooner the better. They don't even know you're back in the US or got hurt, right?"

"Nope. And that's the problem. I need you to come with me. Or better yet, the four of us could go. I don't... well, there's no way I could go by myself. I need you there as a buffer. You were always good at that."

"Tyler..."

Kyra smiled at him, "What? A big, tough professional soldier like you is afraid to see his mommy?"

"Yes. And when you meet her, you'll understand why. Look, it's like nine or ten hours, but we can stop every hour so you can go to the bathroom and I'll stretch my leg some... the four of us'll have a great time..." he glanced at Kyra and a devilish look momentarily transformed his face, "You and Drew can sit up front and Kyra and I can sit in the back seat..."

Kyra gave Taylor a 'what the hell' look and casually swatted his hand away as it approached and stepped away. "But it won't work, right, Taylor? Drew leaves tomorrow for a week. His last trip before the baby comes, but it's Chicago, Seattle, Portland, then back."

"Great! So see, Sis, you'll be all alone and I'm sure it's been quite a while since you've been home and you still need to make amends for going way out west and dropping business and all. It's only right."

"Only right that they give me crap instead of you?"

"Well, that's one way of looking at it. I prefer to think of it as our folks giving us their version of love and affection by sharing their shame and disappointment with us. Sounds like fun right? And you know how guilty you feel about living way up here with a man without being married, marrying a man they never met until the wedding, and..."

Laughing, "Stop! For the love of God, Tyler! Okay I'll go, IF Kyra comes too."

"Well of course she's coming. I don't think she could bear to be separated from me for that long."

Taylor laughed and Kyra just stared at him. "Well, I hate to break your cocky assed, smart mouthed, tiny dicked heart, but I would do just fine without you here." She stepped over and gave him a kiss, "But I would be happy to go. And, Taylor's right, no way am I sitting in the back seat and wrestling your horny ass for ten hours. You sit in the third row!"

They heard Drew laughing from the bedroom. "Taylor, I'll drive. That way you could put the seat down and rest if you needed to and, unlike your brother, I'll stop as many times as you want."

"But..."

"But nothing, Macho Man. Your license is expired, I saw it when I took the ten dollars you owed me. Everything's closed today, so tomorrow, crap, closed then too. So, on Tuesday we get you set up an appointment for you to take your driver's test and to register your car... where'd you get that piece of crap anyway?"

"I, uh..."

Waving her hand,"Never mind, we'll set you up at a bank, apply for some charge cards, and then," winking at Taylor, "see if we can find some abandoned shack, or rusted out trailer or something for you to live in temporarily until you start making money."

"But I..."

She kissed him again, "Just kidding, Tyler. Maybe you can stay here a few days until we see how things go in the sunny south. You may see your mom's beaming face and want to stay."

"If you mean, 'Mother's', never mom's, never beaming face, then... well, you'll see when you meet her."

"Oh, she can't be that bad."

"Taylor, tell her."

"Oh, she's probably that bad, but, you know, last few times I talked to her on the phone it almost sounded like the shell was starting to crack. Maybe my imagination running wild, but she seemed really interested in the pregnancy and decorating plans." She shrugged, "But, Kyra? What about YOUR folks?"

"Not ready to discuss any of that. Sorry. Anyway, Tyler, call your mom and see if it's okay."

"Uh, I have a better idea. Why don't we have Taylor call and I'll surprise Mother and Father. They love surprises..."

"They hate surprises, Tyler!"

"In any event, they won't have a prerecorded list of grievances about me and my multiple failures."

"I don't know, Tyler. This could end up like so many of your 'good' ideas."

"You two are smart, intelligent women so I'm sure you can figure it out. I have faith in you. I need to go out and exercise my leg, doctors orders, you know. See you later," and he walked out the door in scrubs.

Taylor and Kyra looked at each other and laughed. "I'm assuming he was always like that."

Taylor just nodded with a smile, "Always. Drove my folks nuts."

Tyler stepped outside, took a deep breath and started jogging. He'd been really worried about life after his special unit, but with Kyra? God, last night was wonderful and she could take his jests and give it right back--and then some. 'Smart ass, tiny dicked', he loved it.

This was all new to him and he was on unstable footing. Too fast, dangerous, uncertain of what was next--just like his missions in the field. He'd never felt like this about anyone, his high school romances were over and done pretty quickly and since then, really nothing. He just hoped he wouldn't screw it all up.

He passed a woman carrying a baby and pushing a baby carriage without giving it more than a cursory glance. No threat, saw her yesterday talking to Kyra. "YOU. SOLDIER BOY! STOP! Don't you dare try to run past Avery without saying hi."

He smiled, turned around and then laughed. "Hi, Avery. Good to see you again."

"Quite a ruckus you caused yesterday, Tyler." He shrugged. "Don't give me that innocent, little kid bullshit. That might work on Taylor and some other women, but not on me. So, first, thanks for making me five dollars richer, but you were supposed to get in her room before midnight." He laughed. "My buddy Kyra really needed that, I reckon."

"My pleasure."

"I'll bet it was. I'll bet that girl worked your ass OVER... well, never mind. So second, what the hell is wrong with your knee? Pull up that pant leg and let me look."

"Uh..."

"God bless me, another nonverbal soldier. Look, I'm a highly trained professional used to dealing with dumb ass guys like you so just shut the hell up, well, shut up before you actually say anything stupid, and do it. I'm a physical therapist and I work part time at the VA. Was full time until," switching to her mommy voice, "these cute little darlings came around.

"How long ago were you hurt?"

He shrugged, "I don't know..."

"Tyler! We're gonna have a come to Jesus moment here pretty damn soon. Let's get a couple things straight. I grew up and went to college near a base and dated military guys my en-tar life. I have dated more soldiers than you ever served with I guar-an-fucking-tee that.

"And I knew from the moment you walked into the clubhouse that you were one of those special agent guys that do crazy shit in crazy places. I could tell just by the way you entered and looked around. I don't care what unit and I don't care where or anything else.

"But, as a result of your exploits, you may think you're Superman, and you can put that grin of yours away because I love that Clark Kent of mine more than anything on the planet except," switching voices again, "these two girls.

"And when you think of it, I could pop out some more and replace them, right? But I could never, ever replace him." Reaching down to the older one, "Mommy's just kidding, a part of me would die if anything happened to either one of you.

"So have we come to and understanding, Superman? Just 'cause you think you're super, doesn't mean you heal any better than the grunts. So when the hell did you get hurt?"

"Got my face all wired and teeth shut for a month and a knee replacement a couple weeks later. It was pretty dirty and..."

"And they wanted to make sure it wasn't infected. Good. So it's been three, four weeks since your knee?" He nodded. "Here! You take my darlin' little one. Don't squeeze her too tight, she might need changing, if you get my drift." Avery went to her knees and lifted his pant leg.

"Shit! Tyler, look how swollen it is. What, were you pounding that into the mattress for hours?"

"Actually, Kyra was on top for most of it."

"Good girl." She felt the bones. "Big hunk of metal? Had to get your ligaments and your tendon, right? What about the nerve and artery?"

"That's a lot of questions there Avery. Probably a hunk of metal, but might have been a rock or something too. I missed most of the first week. No nerve or artery, but they did say something about the ligaments and stuff."

"And you have a friggin' splint to keep your knee from going sideways and to keep the swelling down, right?"

"Maybe. Well, yes, but I don't like wearing it."

"Tough shit! So you turn the pert little backside of yours around and march back into the house and get the hell off your feet until we get that swelling down. Now! And because I don't trust you, I'm coming with you. I have to see if Kyra wants to place a long term bet.

"Shut that mouth of yours and quit looking so surprised. It looks very unbecoming."

"But..."

They walked back to Drew's. "You're doing really well with that little girl of mine. You're kind of a natural. You should have some kids--kids that look like Kyra of course, not that ugly misshapen puss of yours." He laughed. Tough neighborhood. It was like being back in the service.

As they entered, "Now get your ass on that couch and put your leg up above your heart. Kyra, bring me some ice packs and some pillows, this ass's knee is grotesque. So," in an oh so sweet southern voice, "Tyyyler, honey, where the fuck is your splint?"

"In my bag."

"Where it doesn't belong of course. Taylor, would you get that bag of his too. No way am I rummaging through it; this guy could have hand grenades, knives, or all kinds of shit in there."

"What?"

"It's okay, Taylor, I'm sure it's safe. The most dangerous stuff is probably his dirty undies and tee shirts. Now let's get that pant leg up." Whining, "Shit, Tyler?"

Kyra rushed back to the couch, "Here're some pillows and a bag of ice. Wholly crap that's swollen."

"Kyra, are you sure you want to hookup with a dumbass like this? Tyler, you have a ton of fluid in there and if it doesn't go down, we will have to drive your ass to the ED tomorrow and have someone stick a big old ugly needle into it and drain it. I'm sure it'll make the big, bad soldier boy cry like a little kid.

"Let me see that splint. Tyler this is great! Remember if you mess this up it'll screw up what you can do in the future. No throwing the ball to kids, or playin' football with them or chasin' after them when you take the training wheels off their bike.

"Get the picture? Do have an op note, your PT instructions and all that?"

"In the bag."

"Kyra, just bring the dang bag out. We'll let him dig through his filing system."

Kyra put the bag next to the couch and he dug through it, pulled out the wrinkled papers and handed them to her. She shook her head and and gave him a dirty look, then read through them. "These are great. So, Kyra," winking, "you're going to have to be on top for a while until the swelling goes down.

"And you have to make sure this guy keeps it iced--twenty minutes on, twenty minutes off. And the friggin' splint stays on all the time except when you're taking a shower or in the bed... sleeping! Sleeeeeping in the bed. Got it, Superman?"

"Superman?"

"He'll explain it to you some time, but tomorrow, Taylor, could you watch the girls for a bit? If the swelling's down, I'm gonna take these two and sign 'em up at the gym; the VA's a pretty good hike from here so the gym's probably better and then I'll show you, Kyra, just exactly what this member of America's finest has to do so you're not with some crippled up guy who whines about his leg all the friggin' time. Got it, you two?"

They looked at each other, "I guess."

"Great, and I'm going to call one of my ortho buddies to see if they can't see you and get you in the system. And, Tyler, just so you know, if you don't follow directions and do what she tells you I'm gonna punch you right in those new pearlies that Uncle Sam bought for you. pop them caps right off of there.

"And, no Sir, don't you think for a moment that you can pull that kung fu shit and block it. I told you, I know my way around you hot shots and I have my way." Standing erect and properly, "After all, a girl had to know how to protect her virtue and innocence," winking at Taylor and Kyra, "except for those weekends when I didn't want to." All three women laughed and she heard Drew laugh from the bedroom.

"We were thinking about visiting my folks on Thursday, I haven't been home in, well quite a while and neither has Tay, and soon she won't be able to go..."

Laughing, "Is that whining I'm hearing from Mr. Secret Agent Man? You shouldn't, but you could if you lay on that bench seat in the back and keep it up, and wear. Your. Fucking. Splint!

Come on, girls, our work here is done."

Looking at Kyra, "I'll check on him tomorrow. Call me if you have any questions." She stepped over, hugged Kyra, and whispered in her ear. "Congratulations. I like him. He's a keeper. See ya." Raising her voice, "Drew, you quit talking so darn much! Didn't your mom ever teach you about taking turns?"

Tyler saw the Orthopedist on Wednesday and the fluid was evacuated. It felt so much better that he could wear the splint and do his exercises without pain. First thing Thursday, they set off for the Gulf. The nine hour trip took over twelve. Kyra stopped every hour so Taylor could pee and Tyler could move around.

Kyra pulled into the drive of the mansion a little after seven. "Holy shit, Taylor! Nothing like slummin' it while you were growing up. Your house is amazing; it's like from one of those Civil War era romances or something."

"I assure you, nothing romantic or even affectionate ever happened here."

"Sounds delightful. You two quit acting so nervous. I'm sure your folks will be glad to see you. It won't be that bad. Tyler! They haven't seen you in what, like four years? And, Taylor, they saw you at the wedding and it went okay, right?"

"Kind of. They were really pissed that I didn't get married in Gulfport, so, I don't have a good feeling about this. Tyler maybe we..."

"No, we're here. Let's get it done," chuckling, "Kyra, maybe you should stay here and leave the engine running in case we have to make a quick getaway."

"Crap! Now I'm starting to sweat and I don't even know them."

They walked up the steps and between the thick white columns to the huge white door in the red brick wall. Taylor's hand was trembling some as she rang the door--Tyler and Kyra hid off to the side. The door opened, "Mother. It's so good to see you. It's been too long."

"Yes, it has." Tears formed in her mom's eyes. Then she put her hand to her mouth and coughed and coughed some more "Oh, Taylor, you look so wonderful and that belly of yours! Reminds me of mine with Thomas. I got so huge!"

She stepped forward and hugged her warmly. Taylor was caught completely off guard and held her arms down limply before she wrapped her arms around her mother. What the heck? What was going on?

"Mother? Are you okay? I mean..."

Tyler stepped forward from the side,"Hello, Mother. Good to see you." He stepped forward and hugged her and she latched on tightly. Pushing him away, tears streaming down her face, she coughed some more.

"Tyler? Is it really you? Oh, my goodness, I have missed you so much! I am so glad to see you well. I fretted every day that something might happen to you." She hugged him again. "So, I'm guessing you're here on leave and then you'll disappear for a few more years? Do we have time to catch up some?"

Looking at Taylor as they shared a 'what the hell' expression, then turning back,"Yes, we'll have time, I'm all done. Out of the service. And, uh, just like Tay, I brought a friend." He pulled Kyra from around the corner.

Kyra almost felt like she should curtsy based on what they'd prepped her for, but this woman was different--so different. She was warm, welcoming, clearly happy about seeing her kids. She held out her hand, "Hello, Mrs. Richards. Clearly your son has forgotten his manners, I'm Kyra."

Evelyn nodded, but declined the handshake and instead stepped forward and she got a hug as well. "Any more surprises, Taylor?'

"No, Mother, that's it." Still in shock by the change in her mother, "Mother? Is everything okay, I mean... you don't have cancer or... or anything like that, do you?"

Smiling, then barking out a short cough, "No, I didn't have a stroke or anything, I, well, I had quite a scare and realized that life is way too short to waste the way your father and I have been. All his money and opulence is just not that important in the big scheme of things."

"Are you sick? You're not dying, are you?"

Taking her hand and looking in her eyes, "No, dear, I am better than I've been for forty years. We'll talk later. Please stay long enough so we can visit. I want to hear... well, I want to hear all about everything."

"But now we need to go in. I'm sure your father and Thomas are standing like two rigid statues in the sitting room waiting for you two to pay homage. Oh, and Theresa's coming, but she's going to be late--she's shaving off some of the time she has to be here." Tears formed again in Evelyn's eyes as Taylor and Tyler shared looks of wonder again. Their mother coughed several times again.

"Just be ready for the usual greeting."

They followed her into the sitting room where Robert and Thomas were standing in wait. Kyra looked and froze as her eyes locked onto Thomas. Her world started to crumble. The face she had feared when she saw Tyler, the face she remembered so well when he was on top of her pressing against her with his full weight; breathing hard, sweating, calling her every name in the book. That face glared at her.

"Hello, Father." She stepped forward to hug him and was turned away.

"When are you going to stop wasting your life with that worthless teaching degree and take over one of the dealerships. It's about time you stopped fooling around and do something meaningful."

"But, Father, I..."

Wagging a finger at Tyler, "And you! Run around the world playing soldier, strutting yourself around... no degree, no preparation for any meaningful career. You're twenty-six and have nothing to show for it! Barely a word for eight years and you just show up and assume I'll take you into the business! I..."

"It is you! I knew it!"

"What are you talking about, Thomas?"

Pointing at Kyra, "I knew it! I knew I recognized you. I recognize that look on your face. No word in almost four years, Tyler, and then you bring a common whore home to this house! How dare you! Mother, Father, you should make them leave, now! That girl with Tyler is a whore--a prostitute. No way should this piece of trash sully our carpets!"

All eyes turned towards Kyra and she started to melt.

Tyler looked at Kyra, her beautiful eyes were filling with tears, trembling, still frozen in place. She hadn't moved and was afraid to even breathe. This was it--the end. The reckoning. Looking at Taylor, "Taylor I am so sorry. I ruined another homecoming for you."

Looking into Tyler's eyes, "Tyler, I am so very, very sorry. I told you it was bad. It's been wonderful and... and I'll never forget the time we had. He's right. I should go." Looking down, "I'm... I'm just going to go."

She turned and Tyler grabbed her arm in an iron grip and snarled, "NO! You're not going anywhere!"

Whining, "Tyler, please?"

Tyler looked towards Thomas, still holding Kyra firmly and then burst out laughing. Taylor just stared, in shock. Could the visit get any more other worldly? "So, St. Thomas the holy, St. Thomas the pure, went to a whore? Holy shit! The second coming is about to arrive! I need to run out and confess my sins before the plagues and pestilence start.

"The man who does everything correctly, never a whisper of controversy, the committer of no sin, who stands in judgment of all the mere mortals around him, sharing Mount Olympus with Father... St. Thomas visited a brothel?"

Stuttering and turning red, "It was only once, and many years ago."

Kyra grew angry. "NO! It was three nights in a row," turning to Tyler, "my last three nights and about two and a half years ago at Carl's in Las Vegas." Struggling to pull her arm free, "Tyler, please let me go."

"Why, Thomas, I haven't really been keeping up with family, uh, should we say, 'affairs,' but weren't you married then? I'm sure Maddy would be happy to know this."

"No need for her to know."

His father swung his angry gaze from Kyra and Tyler to Thomas. "Thomas, is this true? This behavior is outrageous! How could you cheat on your wife by visiting a common street whore?"

"Oh, shut up, Father. Three times, the same as one of your many weekends with your office manager. All those 'business trips' to nowhere. If we're going to air dirty laundry..."

Taylor was in tears now along with Kyra. It could get worse. Evelyn stared holes in her husband. "George, have you got anything to say about this?"

"Yes, it was a mistake." Dismissing her concern, "We can talk about it later. Now to the business at hand. Tyler... how dare you bring this slut into our house? Get her out of here immediately, and if this is the kind of man you've become, then you probably need to go with her."

Taylor took a step forward, "I worked at Carl's and I was a whore too, Father. Do you you want me to leave also?"

"I, uh... That's impossible!"

Kyra's head shot up, she couldn't allow this. Time to step up. "Taylor, NO!" Turning to the parents, "Taylor is lying to help a friend. Thank you, Taylor, but I can't allow you to do it. Yes, Taylor was at Carl's. As you know she got no support from home so she worked in the restaurant full time as a waitress or hostess; and went to school full time where she got nearly all A's.

"She's finished her business degree and gotten her teaching degree and did such a fabulous job with her student teaching that she was offered a full time job for this coming year, but the baby kinda put a crimp into that.

"You should be proud of the woman she's become. She is kind, generous, smart; loved by her neighbors, the teachers, and the students she had. You should have seen the cards and emails she got from her student teaching time.

"She is everything a person should be and now, having met you all, I have absolutely no idea how she did it.

"I was beaten to a pulp and left for dead in a parking lot and had no place to go. My teeth were wired shut. I was all swollen... I went to Drew's, the only place I could think of. She could have turned her back on me, should have turned her back on me for the things I'd done to Drew, BUT SHE DIDN'T! She took me in and helped me become the kind of woman I always wanted to be, should have been.

"Instead of giving her crap about being a teacher, about wasting her life, you should be bursting with pride because of the wonderful woman she is. You should be more like HER and less like YOU!"

"I won't..."

"YES! YES YOU WILL! And Tyler? Playing as a soldier? Nothing to show for it? Tyler is a friggin' hero! He has a bag full of citations, medals, letters of thanks from the families of those he's helped.

"He rescued, saved and protected people while you, Mr. Scrooge, sat in the study counting your cash and greedily plotting on how you can get more--empty, soulless, uncaring--and don't worry, I'm pretty sure the three ghosts aren't going to waste their damn time to help save your greedy, pompous ass.

"So while you sat here in comfort, he was out there somewhere in some super elite unit doing all sorts of scary things that no one else could do! Risking his LIFE in the service to his country.

"He got blown up on a mission and has only been out of the hospital for a few weeks after being in for six weeks or so. You should be bursting with pride and thanking him for his service instead of giving him crap! What the hell is wrong with you folks?

"And, YOU!" jabbing her finger towards Thomas..."Who the fuck do you think you are? Should I share with them, some of the things you called me while you were on top of me grunting like some pig? Tell them about the things you said you wanted to do to me? Who the hell is worse, the whore who's in trouble and needs the money or the so called man that has to hire her and then begs to be able to do all kinds of sick shit?

"Tyler! Let go of my fucking arm," starting to melt and tears flowing again, "Please? I have to go."

Tyler did not release, but stared at his dad, "Nicely put, Kyra. I'm just telling the three of you that you'd better get used to her because I'm going to marry her."

Taylor and Kyra both stared at him, "MARRY!"

"You're out of your friggin' mind, Tyler! That explosion must have burned out some switches or something. You know nothing about me." She jerked her arm, "Now let go of my fucking arm! Wonderful to meet you all. Taylor, I am so, so sorry to ruin everything, again." She slammed the keys into her hand, "Here are the keys. I'll get a ride."

She turned and ran out the door.

Taylor was motionless, looking from one to another, but Tyler reacted immediately and followed her out snagging her arm again at the bottom of the steps. "Tyler, let me go, please." Begging, "Please? I told you I was a horrible person and didn't deserve to be with a man like you."

"None of that matters."

"TYLER! It does matter! It's worse! I am so much worse! I killed a man! Beat him to death with a baseball bat. It was not even six months ago. I could be going to jail for the rest of my life. What kind of future is that?"

"Did he deserve it?"

"Hell yes! He was the guy that beat me to a pulp and left me for dead. He killed at least four women and hurt a few others--that they knew of. But I killed him! Hit him over and over as he begged..."

"Kyra, I killed people for a living and a lot of them DIDN'T

deserve it. They just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. And look, I'll take whatever time I can get. Maybe it'll be a lifetime."

"Tyler, I've never been in love or fully committed to someone. I mean, I thought I loved Drew..."

His eyes widened and his brows elevated as he stared harder at her, "Drew?"

She waved his question off, "Not now, but, Tyler, I don't know how to do it. I'm scared to death of what's going on with us and I know I'm going to blow it up like I have every relationship I've ever been in. Blow it up and run away as fast as I can.

"But dammit, Tyler, you have me so stinkin' confused! On the one hand I want to hold you so tight we merge into one person. On the other, I'm so scared I feel I need to figure out how to escape.

"I've never felt like this before! Not even with Drew! It's too fast! Way too fast. Tyler, get your apartment. If you've been in the service too long and just need the sex or someone to talk to, then call me and I'll come over. If it's two a. m. and you need company, call me, I'll come over. I'm good at that, but I feel like I'm in quicksand and going under every time I look at you or you touch me."

"I don't care about the sex, well, I mean, I do, but it's you I want. I want to be with you! You're all I can think about, my future seems kinda empty if you're not there. I can't imagine not going through life without you. If you run, I'm just going to follow you so it won't work. Look, I don't care about your past and together we can face whatever comes your way. I'll be there. Always."

Tears rolled down her cheek, "I don't want to run away, Tyler, but I'm so confused and you deserve someone so much better than me. If I hurt you or hurt Taylor, I couldn't live with myself. And I think I already messed everything up here."

He laughed, "Everything here was already messed up. Why do you think three of the four kids ran away?" He hugged her to himself and kissed her. "Shit, Kyra, I'm a rookie too and I'm a lot more likely to screw it up than you are. One day at a time, right? And I hope you are a very forgiving woman because my sisters said I had issues."

Getting that grin on his face, "And I'll endeavor to be as good in the sack as Thomas."

She shoved him away. "You are a fucking dick head! And no woman could be that forgiving. Here I am pouring my heart out. God, Tyler, you are such an ass. Why do I even spend time with you? He sucked! He made my skin crawl every time he touched me."

She stepped forward and kissed him, sighing, "So don't worry, you are way, way better than your brother and that'll make me forgive a multitude of sins."

Laughing, "I knew it! But, Kyra, you can't leave. I..."

Taylor came out the front door and down the steps wiping tears. "Kyra, if you're leaving, I'm leaving. I knew this was a mistake!" She punched her brother, "And just another mess you dragged me into." Smiling just a little, "Just like the old days. Let's get the heck out of here and get something to eat. I'm starved. And what the hell is up with Mother? That was, well, that was just fucking weird. And that cough?"

Kyra and Tyler stared at her, "Taylor..."

"Shut up, Kyra. It was fucking weird. You're my friend. Thank you for standing up for me." She moved forward and hugged her. "You are my friend, Kyra. I already knew about the stuff at Carl's, well, I didn't know about Thomas. Isn't it weird he didn't contact me or I didn't see him? What the hell was that about? Was he spying on me? Anyway, I figured the rest of your life was not some shiny penny. But, you're my friend, like a sister."

With an evil grin, "So, Kyra, obviously Thomas liked you if he came back three times in a row. So how was he compared to..." and she hooked a thumb towards Tyler.

Kyra grinned in turn, "He was much bigger. That thing of his..."

"Ouch. I don't know..."

Kyra clasped his face in both hands, "Tyler, you are better than any man I've ever been with. But I'm not marrying your ass!"

A car pulled in the driveway. "Now who the heck?" A blonde, well dressed, woman started climbing out of the car, "TERRY! Oh, goodness, it is so good to see you!"

They hugged and Terry looked over her shoulder, "Tyler? Tyler! Oh my God, look at you! We didn't know you were coming! I haven't seen you in eight years or something. Life has been way too quiet since you left. And Mother and Father kind of turned their focus, 'advice,' and 'guidance' to me. I couldn't stand it--so I QUIT and John and I moved to Biloxi."

She stepped over and wrapped her arms around him and held tight. "Tyler, I worried so much about you over the years. I was always scared to death that we'd hear something bad. And you never fucking called or, emailed or anything!" She punched his shoulder.

Turning back to Taylor and softening, "Look at that belly on you Taylor. You must be getting close."

"Mid August."

Terry rubbed Taylor's baby bump, "Oh, this is so exciting, my baby sister having a baby. Where's Drew? I really wanted to see him again. You two kind of bolted as soon as the ceremony was over. Can't blame you, Father was being so awful.

"And you're not the only one with a belly, check out my belly, number four on the way, and no, Tyler, I'm not just fat. Well, I am heavier than I want but... screw it! I'm pregnant. I'm eating for two or probably more like for three or four," and laughed.

Looking away, "Oh, I'm sorry," stepping over to Kyra, "I was just so excited to see these two again... well, I was being rude. So who are you?"

"Kyra."

"She's my best friend, Terry."

"And we're going to get married."

Impatiently, "Tyler! I am not going to marry your ass. I just met you Saturday!"

Terry looked from one to the other, "Well, I can see there's more to that story. So just why are you three standing outside? Afraid to go in?"

"No, we've been in for just long enough to blow up Mother and Father's marriage and probably Thomas'. We didn't even get a chance to sit down. And then Kyra called Father Scrooge, told him to go count his coins, and not to worry about any ghosts coming to save him."

Terry looked at Kyra surprised, but then laughed, "You didn't! Is he still breathing?" Kyra shrugged her shoulders and all three started laughing hysterically. "I'm surprised he didn't stroke out! When is the ambulance coming? My God, Kyra. No one has ever said anything like that to him before."

"He was giving everyone crap and pissed me off."

Laughing, "No shit? I'm pissed off every minute I'm with them just about. So that caused like the shortest visit ever! Even I have never been able to make a visit that short. Damn, for once I'm upset that I got here late and missed everything. So I'm assuming you're not going back in?"

"No way, Terry."

"Tell you what, I'm only about an hour away, I know it's been a long drive for you all, but why don't you three come home with me and we can catch up. Please! I won't take no for an answer. The girls only saw their Aunt Taylor briefly at the wedding and they have NEVER seen you, Tyler, although that's probably a good thing," smiling at him. "I'll call John and have him order some pizzas and we can visit for a while."

Glancing at her phone, "Shoot, it's already seven thirty. The kids'll be in bed and maybe we can visit for a while and then either try to pack you all in the house or there's a hotel just a couple of miles away. But you have to promise to spend the day with us tomorrow... or stay the weekend. Yes! You have to stay! Go back Sunday! I am happy, so happy to see you again--yes, even you Tyler. "

"Why don't you give me the address, Terry, and I'll drive Taylor's car and you three, drive together and catch up."

"No, that's not... uh, oh, brace for impact."

Evelyn was slipping on a light coat and struggling with her purse and coughed, "Wait. Please. Please wait?"

The three gathered together and Kyra stood off to the side. Evelyn burst into tears and started sobbing, "I am so, so sorry. I let your father drive you all away and didn't stop it. I became the woman he wanted me to be and put on these airs so we could fit into some kind of mold and do all the crap that came along with it.

"All because I loved him so much. None of that is the real me, or maybe it was, but you've never known me as anything else."

She coughed, "And recently, I got some crazy virus or something and I ended up in the hospital on a ventilator."

"Mother! Why didn't you let us know? John and I..."

"Have your own lives and are busy with the girls. But anyway, I had plenty of time to think. I realized that I had nothing. My husband and son were 'too busy' to even visit, no friends came to see me, I didn't think I could call you two girls...

"And finally I realized that my life was bullshit! I had money and status..." crying, "but no family, no friends, nothing of importance or that really mattered. So I decided to become, once again, the woman I was before I met your father.." coughing again.

"So here I am in my 60's and thanks to Kyra, I find out that my husband's been cheating on me all along. I mean, I guess I kind of knew, I'm headed for divorce and the only child I have any relationship with is Thomas and he's as stiff and lifeless as his father."

Crying harder, "And I barely know my grandkids and they're scared to death of me." Turning to Kyra, "Kyra, some of the things you've done may not be... well, you may not have made the best choices, but my choices were far, far worse." Turning to the others, "So, I'm guessing you're going to Theresa's?"

They hesitated, Kyra spoke up, "Yes, Evelyn. They're going to Terry's and you should ride with them. We're going to stay for a day or two and everyone will have some time to reconnect and repair broken bridges or whatever."

Evelyn looked at the three, "But I don't want to ruin your time together. It's... it's not right of me to just join in, so I will understand if I need to catch up with each of you... uh, sometime in the future.

"Kyra's right, Mother. You should absolutely come with us."

"Thank you, Terry. But please, I never wanted to be 'mother.' Would you call me 'Mom' or something else. Oh, and I'm not going to be Grandmother either. I don't know what they'll want to call me, but not that! No more friggin' formality." They all laughed nervously. "But, Kyra..."

"I'll be fine, Evelyn. You all have a lot to catch up on and I have a lot of thinking to do." She moved forward, took Evelyn's arms and looked her in the eyes, "And, Evelyn, I am so sorry for all the trouble I stirred up. I feel awful about it.

"Just when you think your past is behind you... you know, when I saw Tyler walk in I was scared to death because I thought he was from my past, he looked so familiar. And then I just assumed it was because he looked like Taylor. And then today..." They all laughed nervously.

"Kyra, what you did was a blessing." She hugged her. "I just wish you'd have come twenty years ago."

Grinning, "That might have been a little difficult, Evelyn."

"I think she should start calling you Mom as well. I mean..."

"I am not going to marry your cocky ass, Tyler! Knock it off." But they all laughed.

Kyra pulled into the driveway. Nice, no, it was a great house. She loved it; it had a nice feel about it. Probably 3500 square feet. Nice yard, good neighborhood, easy to get too... She smiled to herself. It felt good to use her real estate training. The garage door was open, no sign of Terry's car. She decided to wait and pulled out her phone and started scrolling.

She jumped as someone tapped on the window. "Excuse me, Ma'am? Can I help you?"

She rolled down the window, "Yes, you can start by not calling me Ma'am."

He was startled, but then realized she was joking. Laughing, "Okay, Miss, may I be of assistance?"

"Yes, John. Is the pizza ready?"

"Pizza?"

"Oh, I guess Terry didn't call." She slid out of the SUV door, "I'm sorry, John, I'm Kyra. I'm Taylor and Tyler's friend." He was waiting for her to finish..."Oh, that's right, she didn't call. Well, brace yourself, fella, a family reunion is about to happen at your house. Three of the four T's and Evelyn should be here soon. I guess those pregnant ladies had to stop to eat.

He was still looking stunned, "Evelyn? Family reunion? But it's already almost, well, going on nine."

She tapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go in, John, and I'll explain it to you; and I hate to ask, but I am friggin' starving. Do you have anything, anything at all that I can eat? Some cookies, a loaf of bread..."

Laughing, "Sure, Kyra, we've got a bunch of leftovers or I can make something. The kids are all in bed, so at least that source of chaos is not a factor--well, unless everyone wakes them up. What the heck is going on?"

She had just started her version, when they heard the car pull into the garage. Doors closing, laughter, and then all four poured through the door and the tale began. Terry walked over and kissed her husband. "Oh, I see you've already met Kyra. And this is my brother, Tyler, who's been in the service. You probably don't remember him."

Stepping forward, "Great to see you again, John. Last time and only time was senior year at your wedding, I think."

"Yeah, I think you're right. You've kind of changed from that guy back then."

"Yeah, I guess." Smiling, "Time'll do that."

Evelyn stepped forward, "John, I've already apologized to these three, but I need to apologize to you as well. You have been an incredible father and made my daughter so happy, so very happy," tears were forming again, "and I have been such a fool and never told you that and never been the grandmother and mother-in-law I should have been. I hope you can forgive me and we can start over."

He looked at Terry who smiled and nodded, "Sure, Mrs. Richards,"

"Evelyn."

"Uh, sure, Evelyn? I'd love that." He stepped forward and hugged her.

"Thank you, John. Thank you more than I'll ever be able to tell you."

Kyra finally spoke up, "John, about that food? These giddy fools obviously stopped and got some burgers on the way. I know there's no way Taylor didn't make them stop. Her car looks like the ballpark after a game."

"KYRA!"

"So, John, the plan is that they're going to stay here for the weekend."

"Uh, here? I mean... and I have work and the kids have school and stuff tomorrow..."

"Easy, John, we have it all figured out. My mom..." He shot her a surprised look. "Yes, she's 'Mom' now. Anyway she'll stay here and those three will stay at the hotel. They only had one room for tonight, but then they have two after that." Turning, "Are you sure that's okay, Taylor? We can find a different hotel, but that's the closest?"

Giving Tyler a dirty look, "I am not sure at all, these two..."

Two hours later the three of them walked into the hotel room. Two queen beds. "So we only have one room for tonight, so you two have to behave. Okay? I'm exhausted and I need my sleep. Tomorrow, I'll drive to Terry's and you two can do whatever you want all day. But please! Please let me sleep tonight. God, what a day! Never in my wildest dreams."

Hugging Kyra. "And we owe it all to you."

"Yup. Just the way I planned it."

"Sure. So," whining some, "Kyra, will you sleep with me and let Tyler sleep alone."

"Sure. I need a break from that maniac anyway."

"I'm right here!"

"Yes, and you were meant to hear it. Now go to sleep."

An hour later, Kyra jumped, then smiled as she felt a hand slide under her night shirt, up her inner thigh and start rubbing her center. He was such a trouble maker. She reached over and felt Tyler's head under the cover, swatted it gently and then slowly rubbed it as she relaxed. A finger entered, she moaned slightly--and a pillow crashed across her abdomen striking Tyler and the light flipped on.

"Dammit, Tyler! You act like a friggin' kid!" She punched his head under the covers. "You ass! That really hurt my hand." She heard Tyler's muffled laugh from under the covers and Kyra was attempting to keep a straight face. "And you! You let him do it! Right next to me! That's gross! Now please, for the love of God, let me get some sleep!

"Sorry, Taylor."

"You are not, you slut!" she whispered. But they both laughed quietly as she shut off the light.

An hour later, Taylor went to the bathroom, one of her many usual trips and saw Kyra's legs sticking out from under the covers as she knelt next to Tyler's bed. "KYRA! What the fuck!"

"Wahwee, Waywahr."

"Oh, God! You've got it in your mouth! I'm going to puke! You're as bad as he is!" She flipped on the bedside light. "I'm going to get dressed and you two jerks have a half hour to do whatever the hell you're going to do and then if you're not done, I'm kicking one or both of you out of MY room.

"Please, I'm exhausted and tomorrow is another big day and we get to see the kids after school... If you need it that badly, stay in the room all day and screw your stupid inconsiderate brains out. I NEED SLEEP!"

Taylor slid her head out and climbed back into bed. "You're right. We've been inconsiderate. Tyler, please knock it off. Please! She may have punched your head, but I'll punch you in the balls! And it won't hurt my hand. Taylor, turn out the light and get some sleep."

The light went out and Kyra put her head close to Taylor's, "I'm really sorry, Taylor, we..."

"You are not and quit breathing dick breath on me."

Kyra laughed quietly, "Does it really smell? I mean at the end, with the goo, sure, but now?"

Chuckling, "I don't know, Kyra! And I don't want to to have you breathe on me and find out." Kyra moved her head close, took a deep breath and Taylor placed her hand on her mouth and shoved her face away and both giggled as they continued to whisper and giggle like two teenagers.

"DB, that's your new name."

"Debbie? You're going to call me Debbie?"

"No! DB--dick breath," and Taylor started laughing quietly.

"Really cracked yourself up with that one, didn't you, Taylor. You're about as funny as your stupid brother. But, really, Taylor, I'm sorry. The whole week has probably been tough on you."

Whispering, "Well, it has been interesting..." Then getting very quiet and talking directly in her ear, "but it has turned Drew into a real corn dog. It's been amazing."

"Corn dog?"

"You know, he wants to do it..."

Kyra burst out laughing, "You mean 'horn dog?' Like he's horny?"

Laughing in turn, "Well, that makes a lot more sense. Yes, he was a real horn dog."

Whispering back, "Great. I guessing you haven't told him that he's poking his daughter in the head."

Taylor burst out laughing. "Kyra! I swear, where the hell do you come up with this stuff? But you're right, she is head down now." Then whispering in her ear again, "God, if I told him that, he'd never touch me until sometime way after the delivery. He'd need counseling. So don't you dare mention it, dick breath."

Kyra reached over and felt Taylor's swollen abdomen. "You are so lucky, Taylor, but you deserve it. No one deserves happiness more than you do. Oh, God! She's moving around. I can feel it. Taylor that's incredible! A real wonderful baby girl right there; right under my hand."

Taylor put her hand on top of Kyra's, "You know, you could have one too."

"Oh, no! Not me. I... I don't think I'm mother material."

"Sure you are. The neighborhood kids adore you, you're just like one of them."

"Not for a while..."

Laughing, they hugged each other briefly and got quiet. Then Taylor whispered, "So when's the wedding?" and giggled uncontrollably.

Kyra elbowed her in the side of her chest as she continued to laugh. "God, can you believe he said that? Out of nowhere. Right in front of everyone. Drop the mike! Bring down the curtain!" She was quiet a moment, "I don't know, Taylor, he is different than any guy I've ever known... Now shut up and go to sleep. You look like shit."

She reached over and hugged her, then breathed on her face. Both were still laughing quietly as they fell asleep.

THE TRIP HOME

She wheeled the small, carry-on suitcase she'd borrowed from Taylor into the living room--a stab of remembrance hit her as she recalled a time a little over a year or so when all of her things fit into a cardboard box and a slightly larger suitcase--and came face to face with Drew.

Seven months later or so, face to face with Tyler. She shook her head, three months living with Tyler. She still found him incredible, still able to bring her pleasure--at night, at breakfast, the weekends... Everything about him made her happy. Her life was better than it had ever been but...

She still worried about the police showing up to arrest her. Tyler still asked her to marry him and she couldn't imagine a life without him. But... she didn't want to marry then end up in jail. No way should a man like Tyler be married to an incarcerated criminal. Maybe soon she'd feel like she could, but not yet. Hell, he was even talking about babies and damn, when she held Taylor's...

But... she also had to get things settled with her family--one way or the other. She hoped they could forgive her, be happy to see her, but it'd been over five years since she'd had any contact... with any of them. She had to know one way or the other.

She wanted no loose ends in her life--except the one she couldn't do anything about.

"What's up, Kyra?"

"I have to go away for a bit. I took a week's vacation from Drew's, he's in Ireland, Taylor can cover even though she has finals and you have work. And you have to help with Emily if anything comes up."

His face filled with worry and concern. "I know you said you were afraid that you might have to get up and leave some day, but I thought we, well, I mean, I haven't really screwed up very badly and I thought... Well, I thought we were doing pretty well. I mean..."

She looked at him and slowly smiled. "Tyler? Are you sure you weren't playing with matches or something and blew your own cocky ass up?" He relaxed and smiled. "And you can put away that stupid grin.

"You have done very well--not perfect, but much better than I imagined."

"So pretty good?"

She touched his cheek, "Yes, Tyler, Honey, you have been very good and if I had my way you would go with me everywhere. BUT! This I have to do alone. I'm flying to Colorado today to see my folks. And... if I survive that, my sister and brother. A grovel in the dirt apology tour. I'm sure you are unfamiliar with those."

He shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll go with you."

"Nope! I have to do it myself. I don't want you tagging along and making things any more complicated as I cry and carry on. So, I will keep you posted, but I have to fly to Denver, rent a car, then drive for a couple hours. If they slam the door in my face and tell me they hate me, I'll be back sooner."

Smiling, "And you'd better rest up 'cause I'm gonna work your ass over when I get back and I don't give a damn if it makes your knee hurt, you're spending all the time on top of me and doing the work while I sit back and enjoy..."

She gave him a kiss. "And do not trash this place while I'm gone or I'm making you clean it up first."

"Sure, Mom."

"Fuck you, Tyler." She kissed him again and his hand slid between her legs. She jumped back. "Nope! No way! Hold that thought. Damn, if you only had any idea how much I love you..."

She walked to her car and already felt the pain of separation. She hated being away from him even for work each day. What the hell had he done to her? But she felt strong, alive, and ready to face her family.

She pulled into the drive and noted that the bushes were a lot bigger. She shook her head. She'd planted those with her father and bitched the whole time. Damn, she'd been so awful.

The house, though looked the same as she remembered. No big changes, nothing new except the door had been repainted. Red--not sure she liked it, but... She took a breath, hoping just her mother was home and that her dad was still at work, and tentatively knocked on it rather than using the door bell.

The door opened and the woman opened it. "Hello, may I... Kyra?" Kyra noted she was a little older looking, but still slender and beautiful and still radiated that feeling a joy when you looked at her. She was prepared for the door to slam the door in her face.

"Mom?"

She grabbed her and pulled her across the threshold, hugged her closely and started crying. "Oh, goodness, Kyra... how I've missed you and hoped you were doing fine."

Matching her tear for tear as she cried on her mother's shoulder, "Mom, I am so sorry. I was the worst daughter. In high school, college, and then after Drew, I just fell apart. I am so sorry for all the things, I've said and done. And for all the things I never said and never did. I never even called, but I've been so ashamed, so afraid that you'd hate me, slam the door in my face...

"I have done such terrible things, been the most horrible kind of person." Crying harder, "Mom, I was chasing this crazy dream, this fantasy... and then realized how much of my life I'd wasted.

"Thank you for not slamming the door in my face. God, how I've missed you."

Her mother pushed her to arms length, but kept both hands on her arms. "So, Kyra, you need money? Are you in trouble?"

Catching her off guard, "What? No, Mom. I'm good. No, I'm great. I have a job, one more course and I finish my degree, I have a real estate license, although I haven't started using it yet... lot's of friends... and I actually found the man I was searching for... drug and alcohol free.... So things are finally great!"

"But the police? The police were here last week saying they were searching for you."

"What?" Waving it away, "I'll call them tomorrow and update them. I notified Daniels about where I was..."

"Daniels?'

"Yeah, Detective Dan Daniels, catchy right? He's with the Miami police. No trouble. So..."

There was another knock on the door. As she opened it and two deputies were standing on the porch. "Hello, may I help you, Officers?"

"Mrs. Montgomery?"

She nodded. "Hi. I'm Roberta Reynolds and this is, well, Deputy Kyle. His last name..." She smiled, "You don't even want to try. We're looking for Kyra Montgomery. I know folks stopped by last week, but we understand she flew into Denver this morning..."

Stepping forward, "I'm Kyra. How can I help you Deputy Reynolds?"

"Well, first off we'd like to know why you've been hiding? There's quite a search apparently. You were supposed to let the police in Indiana know where you were."

"Indiana? No. The only person who asked me keep them notified was Detective Dan Daniels from Miami. Here, I have his card." She reached for her purse and both officers reached for their holsters.

Kyra stopped dead. "In the wallet in my purse is his card. And if you'll get my phone out, I can show you that I called and left a message when I moved to North Carolina and again when I changed my address."

"North Carolina?"

"Yes, Mom."

"What about the folks in Indiana?"

"I talked to someone there twice--a man, on the phone. I don't remember his name... McNally? Maybe? And he didn't ask me to keep him updated. He called me, so he had my number. He could have called any time he wanted to touch bases."

"But it's a murder investigation and you're a potential suspect."

She groaned inside, here it comes, but got angry, "Suspect! I was one of the victims! My face was beaten to a bloody mess" she heard her mom gasp, "and he left me for dead after raping me in a parking lot of a bar, in Miami."

Her mom gasped again and put both hands on her mouth as she stared at her daughter.

"So you had reason to kill him."

"I had reason to cut his dick off and bust his face into a million pieces like he did to me. Hell, he killed four women and there were at least two others just like me that managed to survive! If the police caught him he was going to prison for life or lethal injection or whatever. No need for me or the other survivors to kill him.

"And I didn't have a husband or boyfriend or anything that would want revenge. Shit! Give me this guy's number and I'll call him."

"Kyra, you were raped and beaten..."

"Sorry, Mom... Look, Detective, I... I was a stripper in Vegas, a whore in Nevada, I abused drugs and alcohol... I've been beaten before. I've been raped before. Not this bad, but..." Her mom groaned. "But everything is fine now, Mom. Those days are done. Gone forever."

"You seem pretty upset about this."

"Hell yes I'm upset! First of all, I can now count on the fact that I will wake up screaming every night for the next two weeks at least, now that all these memories have been dragged up out of the pit. Thank you for that, Deputy.

"And second, imagine that you were absolutely the most horrendous kid in the entire world, the fuck queen of high school and college, bring shame to yourself and your family, you shit on the best man in the world that wanted to marry you and then you disappear and don't talk to your mom for five years--five fucking years." Turning, "I am so sorry, Mom. You probably should have slammed the door in my face."

Turning back, "You get up the nerve to come home and apologize, you're groveling for understanding and three minutes later two officers show up and say you're a suspect in a murder case."

"Ouch. Bad timing. Guess I'd be upset too."

"So, what's the plan, Deputy Reynolds?"

"We need you to come to the office with us."

"Am I under arrest!"

"No, no. We need to finger print you and get in touch with the folks in Indiana."

"I've been photographed, finger printed, DNA taken and all the rest, first by the Miami police then the FBI. So, I could say no."

"Yes, but why would you?"

"You mean other than the fact that I'm talking to my mom for the first time in five years?"

"Yea, there is that, but it would be simpler..."

"See you, Mom." She held her and cried again. "I am so sorry. I never imagined I would show up and cause you even more pain. I... it would probably be best if I just go again."

"NO! Absolutely NOT! You're staying. Period! Give me your keys!"

Kyra smiled, "I would, Mom, but Deputy Kyle No Last Name would probably shoot me for reaching into my purse. Kyle, check my purse for weapons and pat me down in a gentlemanly manner so you can relax a little.

"Roberta is he always this stiff?" She smiled and nodded in return. "Just to give you something to think about while I'm busy, Mom, I work for Drew."

"DREW! But he's..."

"Married with a baby. Crazy world, right, Mom. See you, uh, sometime. Let's go, Deputy Kyle. Roberta, you really should let him talk a little more. You do speak, don't you, Kyle?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Well, that's a start." Kyra and Roberta chuckled. Her mom just stared at her as she walked out the door and broke Kyra's heart. Never should have come. Never, ever, should have come. Only hurt her more, caused more concern and sorrow.

Dammit it. "Dammit! I never should have come home. I just made things worse." Roberta wrinkled her brow, looked at Kyra and evaluated her. She just didn't seem like she'd been all the things she'd described.

"Okay, Roberta, I feel we've spent enough time together that we're on a first name basis, I've been photographed, DNA'ed, finger printed--all of which the local police AND the FBI in Miami did. You've verified my license, my address, my employment, my schooling... so what's the issue? I had crackers on the plane at nine yesterday morning... That diet soda just ain't hacking it."

"Okay, Kyra, your prints are a partial match for a series of robberies that happened here over the last few weeks."

"Give me a fucking break! How much was taken?"

"$800 to $1500 a crack."

"Congratulations, Detective, you cracked the case. You caught me. I give up. And you didn't even have to use the bright light or rubber hose." Roberta smiled.

"You're implying that I bought a thousand dollar plane ticket, rented a car, drove here, stayed at a hotel and robbed someone's home to get a thousand dollars worth of stuff I could re-sell for what, two hundred? Max?

"I'll admit that I haven't been the best student, but I am a business major and somehow even I don't think that is an endeavor that's going to be successful.

"May I use your computer?" Roberta slid it over and Kyra brought up the office books and her work schedule. "Here, here is my schedule for work. Do any of the robbery dates correspond to those?"

"Sure, but you could have faked them."

"I'm the only employee. I think my boss, who works down the hall would have noticed. And you could call my boss, or boyfriend."

"They could cover for you."

"For a thousand dollar television or something! My boss is as straight as they come and my boyfriend was in some crazy elite military thing and has a drawer full of medals and citations. I think Tyler would be concerned if I was coming back with a used whatever."

"You're living with a hero? Damn, Kyra, when you straighten up, you really straighten up. Wait! You said his name was Tyler? Snake Tyler?"

She shrugged. "I don't know about that. Tyler Richards."

"Dang! I thought he was dead. Heard he got all blown to pieces somewhere. Tall, dark hair, cocky as all get out, baby blue eyes and a boyish grin that just makes you want to melt and drop your pants?"

"Sounds like the one. He did get blown up. He got a new knee and a broken face that had to be put all back together." She chuckled, "He said it was a good thing because he was way too handsome before."

Roberta laughed loudly, "That's the guy. I knew him in Afghanistan. We were both on our first tour."

"Snake?"

"Yeah, after he got famous they said he could slither in and out of spots and do things that no one should have been able to do. He was sort of a legend. Shit. He WAS a legend, still is. I doubt he remembers me, but tell him I hope he's doing well.

"So, anyway, Kyra, why'd you kill him?"

Kyra looked at her. "No more talking. Lawyer time. Arrest me or let me go... shit, I guess I can't go home now."

Roberta laughed again, "No, you can go. While you were talking to Indiana I read about this guy. He really got worked over, but I would have tortured his ass for hours for what he did to you all. Shit.

"And, Kyra, I read your Miami records. They're implying that on day seven, with stitches in, your mouth wired shut, double vision, and a concussion; you drove from Miami to Indiana, fifteen hours or whatever, found his ass, killed him and drove back to south Georgia the next day, without ever being caught on a camera, using your cards or anything else. Amazing, Kyra. You should get a public service medal."

"I didn't kill him."

She looked her in the eye, "I know. So do Daniels and McNally. Crazy right? No one could have done that, but watch what you say--to everyone. People could be deposed or hot boxed by the FBI. Lying to the FBI or under oath is a crime..."

"I didn't kill him."

She nodded. "You know, some of the women are suing his estate."

"Why? He has money? I didn't have insurance so..."

"Yup. Lots."

"What about a family? Did he have a family?"

"Yup. Wife and two kids."

"Crap! Can you imagine that poor woman when she found out? And the kids! Nope. They should have the money so they can move, start over, whatever."

"Good girl. Come with me, I'm done for today, I'll drive you back to your house, but you need to get things squared away with your mom. Kyle and I really screwed things up for your coming home. Sorry."

She had Roberta drop her off up the street and she walked to the house. The porch light and living room lights were on. She gently walked up the stairs and saw her mom sitting in a chair, fretting. Shit. So much easier to run; but instead, she gently tapped on the window.

Her mom looked up, saw her, lifted a coat off the rack, eased out the front door, then grabbed and hugged Kyra. "Oh, my poor dear, the things you've been through. Let's go to your car and talk. I want to hear it all without worrying about your dad getting up to pee."

"... So as I lay in the hospital with a tube in my neck, I realized I had no past, no present, and really no future. I was too ashamed to come home and Drew had almost turned me around when we dated, then paid off my debt in Vegas so I could leave, and I realized I had no one and nowhere to go. Everything I owned was in a suitcase and a cardboard box.

"I figured Drew was the only one who might help, so I drove there, hugged him and kissed him, but knew immediately it was wrong. That's when I figured out he paid off my debt, realized he was married, married to Taylor, told him he had to find her immediately, apologized and left. Five minutes. I was there no more than five minutes.

"Mom, I'd run into Taylor downtown and it was the days she found out she was pregnant. I ruined it all. She was planning a surprise for Drew! I ruined it! She should have made sure I disappeared, vanished, but instead she came to the hotel and said she and Drew were there to help me. They took me in and helped me get better. I was still all puffy and swollen and my teeth were wired shut and broken up or missing...

"And I got better. Seven months later, Taylor and I put together the July 4th community get together. This guy walks up to me while I'm discussing recipes with these women..."

"You? Recipes?"

Kyra laughed, "Scary, right? i still can't cook or bake worth a darn, but i do have the recipes. This guy asks me to dance and then makes a whistle and Taylor screams, waddles across the room and knocks us both down. He ends up between my legs and stays there and everyone in the whole place is watching. Turns out it's Taylor's brother, Tyler, who she hasn't seen in four years and I ruined her surprise. Again!"

A week later, Taylor and Tyler," chuckling, "They're all T's, Mom. Thomas, Theresa, Tyler and Taylor. Nuts! So, I go to visit her family. They don't know Tyler is back and it turns out that her brother Thomas was my last client! I blew up his marriage, blew up her mother's marriage because Thomas said his dad was always cheating on her... so I ruined another surprise for Taylor.

"She should hate me, but we are such good friends... and Tyler? Tyler is just incredible, Mom. He's exactly what I searched for from high school on. He's a war hero and wants to marry me, but, I don't know. It seems too quick. I'm afraid of screwing it up.

"So, that's the quick and dirty, very dirty, summary of what I've been up to. There's so much more. More exploits that could fill volumes, but they were all pretty much the same thing over and over until I got pulverized and came to my senses. Guess you could say that dickhead beat some sense into me," and laughed lightly, but felt a wave of nausea as the memories filled her briefly. "So, not a single good thing before Drew and Taylor. But I'm happy. For the first time in years and years, I'm happy!

"But, I knew I had to come here and apologize. I realize the shame I must have caused you and Dad. I..." crying again, "I just don't know how to make it right, Mom. How can I ever make up for what I did to you and Dad, Eric and Becca?"

"By being the best woman you can, Kyra. Be happy, make the most of your life, make yourself proud and you'll make us proud. Your dad'll do fine. He misses you. We just can't share too much. No details. You just stumbled around until you found your footing."

Kyra laughed, "No fear of sharing details, Mom. Hard times followed by better times, the end. Sorry."

"The other two may take some work. Remember they both got married during the time you were with Drew and each has a couple of wonderful kids you haven't met. But they'll come around. Especially your sister."

"Does Dad know I'm here?" She shook her head. "So, should I leave and come back after work?"

She wrinkled her brow in thought. "I'd say yes, but you have to be exhausted. I mean the trip and then the police..."

"No, I'll be fine, but I need a shower and a change of clothes. I mean, I can find a hotel room..."

"No, don't be silly. Why don't you disappear until 8:30 or so, have some breakfast or something, then come back and get cleaned up. Becca's off today, what if I call her and tell her I'd like to come over this morning and we..."

"Okay, but... I need to do this alone, Mom. I'll show up instead of you.

George Montgomery came out of the bedroom searching for coffee and saw his wife making pancakes. He put his hand around her waist and kissed the side of her head then looked around.

"So, dear, what's going on? Up all night...," he looked at her face, "crying, pancakes. It wasn't your birthday, our anniversary, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, or any other day, so what did I mess up... or what did you mess up?"

"Nothing, George. Everything is fine. No problems. I just felt like pancakes."

Skeptically, "Yeah, sure."

He ate the pancakes, grabbed his papers, and gave her a kiss. "Alright, dear. See you after work and maybe you can tell me then."

She avoided his gaze, "Nothing to tell, George."

"Sure."

He punched the switch to the garage door, climbed in his car and backed out. Something was up. He knew he'd be working on it all day. Lost in thought, a voice pulled him back to awareness.

"George! Hey, George. What were those deputies doing at your place yesterday? And who was that they took away? You're not hiding fugitives from justice are you?"

He laughed, "Just a little side business we have. You know, with inflation and the cost of groceries, and eggs!" He laughed again, hiding his concerns, "No, Margaret. To be honest, I don't know, but I'm getting an inkling. Have a great day."

He pulled back into the garage and walked back into the house. "George! What are you doing?"

"She's back and she's in trouble and needs money. The police?"

"Dammit, George. We've been married too long. Yes! Yes, she's home. And she looks great! She's happy! Lives in North Carolina, about done with her degree, has a real estate license, dating one guy--some kind of hero--has a job... With Drew!"

"What! But the police..."

"Uh, she was, well, someone beat her up real bad and she was in the hospital for a while. And the guy that did it was murdered a week later. She's the victim, but the deputies said she was a suspect too. But she was in Miami and he lived in Indiana... so, heck, I don't know."

"So she's in jail?"

"No. No, no, they drove her back last night and we talked."

"And You were afraid I'd go crazy or something..."

"George, the poor thing is exhausted. She travelled here yesterday, then up all night... I was going to let her sleep then see you this evening after work."

"So, she's really doing fine?"

"Yes, George. She looks tired, but happy; like she was before boys and going off the rails."

"So, no money, no help... why now. What does she really want."

Looking directly at him, "She wants the hardest thing of all, George--love, understanding... forgiveness. That's all."

"So when is she going to get here?"

"Any moment I suspect." The doorbell rang. "It's for you, George."

George opened the door and Kyra startled in surprise. Tears sprang to her eyes and she became a little girl again. Timidly, in that girl's voice, "Daddy?"

He held out his arms, "Come here, Hon. it's great to see you."

Kyra practically jumped into his arms. "Dad, I was the worst daughter any father could have. I must have caused you so much pain, worry... disappointment. I am so sorry for all the shameful, unforgivable things I did in high school, and college and how they must have made you feel. And then I just disappeared.

"I will never, NEVER, be able to apologize enough. You were the best father, and I blew it."

She continued to cry on his shoulder. "But after barely surviving the last decade, well, more, I have my life in order. No drugs, alcohol, craziness. I have a job, just a couple courses left for my degree, a real estate license and... I'm happy, Dad. For the first time since I was fourteen or so, I'm happy, content.

"This was my last and hardest thing to do--and I was worried, Dad, so worried that you and Mom would just turn your backs on me. Thanks for not doing that."

"So, what do you really want from us."

"I want, no I need, your love, your understanding, and to start over--a new beginning, I guess. Forget the wasted, misspent years. Father to adult daughter without all the taint from the past if that's possible."

"Sounds good. So have you had breakfast..."

Becca vented for ten minutes about what kind of awful human being she was and all the things she'd done to their folks, but then stopped dead, tears filled her eyes, "But I still love you, Kyra! You're my sister and I have missed you more than you can believe. And I worried so much and so often about how you were making out.

"I looked all the time to see if I could find anything out... and then I saw your name about what happened in Miami and I wanted to make sure it was you... see if you needed help, but the police wouldn't give me any information... I never told Mom; didn't want her to worry any more than she has.

"But you look great and I can't believe I've been yelling at you since you got here." She took three quick steps and swallowed Kyra in a hug. "God, Kyra, it is so good to see you. So, so good. I'm sorry for the awful greeting."

With tears in her eyes as well, "I deserved worse. Yeah, that was me in Miami. Raped, beaten, left for dead--just another day in the wasted decade of Kyra Montgomery's life." Crying harder, "But, I'm all better now and I cannot apologize to you enough for being such a shit.

"We were so close before I went off the rails. I hope, I hope you can forgive me and we can sort of start over? I've missed you so much, Becca, and wondered how you were doing. But I was such a loser... Damn, I am so ashamed... I didn't even know you had kids until Mom told me. Can we sit and have some coffee or something? I'm going to be here for about a week so if now is not a good time..."

"No way are you leaving yet. This is so unexpected. Hell, we need a drink."

Easing her away from the hug, "I don't drink or anything, Becca."

"You ass! No wonder you look so healthy. So where are you living, are you working?"

Smiling, "I work for Drew in North Carolina.

"WHAT!"

She met the kids, talked to her husband when he got home and stayed for dinner then drove to Eric's. Becca had warned her about what to expect. He practically dragged her into the house and started yelling at her. His wife, Jessie, took the kids into the bedroom to 'watch TV.'

She glanced at the clock, twenty minutes without a break and she still hadn't said a word. Her anger was growing and she was about to go off when she got a text from Tyler, 'Call me as soon as you can. It's important.'

"Put that phone down! I'm talking to you! I'm not done!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, ERIC! You were done two minutes after I got here! I haven't listened to a single fucking word you've had to say since you dragged me through the door.

I'm not that little girl that you can boss around, reprimand and correct all the damn time. I didn't need a third parent then and I sure as hell don't need one now."

Her anger was growing. "Now I have to answer this call. It's from someone I care about... Unlike you, Eric."

"But..."

"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP! You listen for moment. I don't frankly give a flying fuck what you think, Eric; or what you think of me. You know what I remember about growing up with you? 'You're ugly, you're stupid, you'll never get into college, you can't throw a ball, ride a skate board... Nothing you do is worth a shit.'

"'You're a slut! You're a whore!' Well you know what, Eric? You were right. I was a slut and I was a whore. Congratulations!

"You know, I don't remember a single positive thing you ever said to me. You were always just my asshole older brother and one of the best days of my life was when you left for college.

"So, Eric, hate to break it to you, buddy, but I can honestly say I missed the hell out of the other three, but never had a moment's thought for you. I don't even consider you a brother and I don't give a shit if I ever see you again.

"But what you did to Mom and Dad..."

"Was awful, despicable, and fills me with shame, but IT'S NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS! It's between Mom, Dad and me, so fuck off. Now, I will be in town for a week if you would like to talk... talk, Eric, not this bullshit, I'll be around. If not, well, that's fine too.

"I have to get this call, something bad is happening to the man I'm going to marry.

Sarcastically, "So, great fucking seeing you again, bro. Why don't we do it again in another decade or so."

She started to leave then in a loud voice, "Jess, I apologize to you and the kids. I was afraid it would go like this. Sorry!"

Jess rushed out of the bedroom to talk to her, but the door was already closed and Kyra was in her car backing out.

"What the hell was that, Eric! She obviously came here to apologize for her past and you never even gave her a chance! She let you rant and rave for almost a half hour! Who the fuck would have let you do that? I would have given you like thirty seconds."

"What the hell is going on, Tyler? What is so friggin' important?"

"I, uh..."

"Tyler! Cut the shit and just tell me."

"I've been called back to active duty."

"Shit! I thought... I thought that with your knee and everything... Tell me you're not going to be pulling your secret agent stuff."

He laughed, "No, but I will be coordinating the others and the headquarters is in the zone--not exactly at the mall."

"So, your cocky ass will be in danger!"

"Uh, yes."

"When? When do you have to leave?"

"Day after tomorrow, around noon."

She almost whined or started crying. God, she was exhausted. Already over a day and a half without sleep. But she remained strong to make it easier for him. "Okay. I'll leave for Denver now and take the earliest flight I can get. How long?"

"Don't know. Probably a few weeks. Depends on the outcome, I think."

"Shit! Okay. Thanks for calling me." She did crack, for a moment, "Tyler, if you had any idea how much I love you and what it'll do to me if

something happens to you... So you better make sure you keep your ass safe and don't do anything heroic."

He laughed, "Will do. Keep me posted. I love you too, Kyra. Be careful driving. I'm sure you're exhausted."

"Dammit, Tyler. How do you know that!"

"I'm, a secret agent. I have my ways."

"Bye, love you."

She got out her phone and texted her mom and Becca. 'Tyler just got called back up to active duty. Leaves the day after tomorrow, so I have to leave tonight to see him before he goes. Sorry. I promise to be back soon.

Things went great at Eric's, ask Jess. Love you both, and Dad. Thanks for not turning your backs on me and slamming the door.'

Almost immediately she got texts from each, 'What can I do to help?'

'Tyler. I'm home, where the heck are you?'

Tyler walked through the front door, slightly winded. "I didn't expect you so soon."

"Taking your girlfriend home?"

"You know that's not true. I'm standing in front of my future wife. The only woman I ever truly loved."

"And you, my love, are the only man I've ever really loved. Now you have thirty seconds to drag my ass into the bedroom, get my clothes off and cram that love stick of yours in me before we talk and I fall asleep."

He stepped forward, grabbed her by the waist, swung her up and carried her to the bed. He practically yanked her clothes off; took a second to get his off and then climbed on top of her and slid into her.

"Good boy, you're wearing your splint. Now I haven't had any sleep for two days, so I am just going to lie here and let you, my big brave soldier boy, do all the work."

But she didn't.

"Dammit, Tyler, you got the bed all wet again!"

"It wasn't..." She slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Ladies don't sweat, Tyler."

"I don't want a lady." She smiled and kissed him.

"Tyler? How the hell do you do it? How do you get me so damn excited?"

"Oh, lot's of practice, and you know, I'm really strong on my emotional intelligence and stuff."

"No, my love, you are about as dense as my pet rock. No, that's not it. But damn, Tyler, amazing. But I think it's more like Avery said, 'when you really love someone you start getting your rocks just touching him.'"

He grinned. He knew it was more shit. "Well, that's disappointing."

"Yeah, it's like she says, most guys aren't really worth a crap until you get them trained up. You are already ever so much better, but there's still room for improvement. Now where's that snake of yours, Snake Richards."

He laughed, "Where in the hell did you hear that?"

"Oh, from Deputy Roberta Reynolds who hauled me down to the station three minutes after I walked into my mom's front door. She said they called you that because your dick was long and skinny and never got hard so they had to stuff it in there and let it wiggle around like a snake."

"Roberta Reynolds. Haven't thought of her in a long time. First Afghan tour for both of us... and she knows that's not true." He smirked.

"I knew it! She got a look on her face for just an instant. Anyway, she sends her regards. But she said the guys in Miami and the other guys think I did it."

Thumping him on the chest, "So you better not do anything stupid or get hurt or be gone too long. You need to make all my days of freedom wonderful. It's the least you can do."

"I'll give it my darnedest. I'm scared, Kyra. For the first time in my life I'm worried! Scared! I never had anything to come home to before and it never really mattered..."

"Dammit, Tyler. You can't be like that. That's how you'll get hurt. Tell you what, I'll break up with you, you won't have to text or anything and you can concentrate a hundred percent on the job at hand. Then when you get back, maybe... maybe we can get back together."

"No, that would make it even harder. You need to send me some Bible passages and words of encouragement every day."

"Not sure about the Bible passages." She rolled on her side facing him and ran her hand on his chest. "So, when do you leave? Do I have to drive you? When will you be back? What do we need to pack for you?"

"They're picking me up, here, at noon. I'm all packed. I probably need some of your delicious cookies to take."

"YOU ASS! Just because I burned a couple of batches and got the salt and sugar messed up... the third batch was good, right?"

"Yes. They were delicious, and the medicine the doctor gave me really helped."

She thumped his chest as he laughed, but smiled. "I'm getting better. How long?"

He shrugged. "No idea. They implied a couple of weeks, but... Look, Kyra, although I'm not actually out front, it's still possible... you know that bad things could happen to me..

"And that's why you have to be careful! But look, if you get banged up, lose some limbs, have to be in a wheel chair... it doesn't matter. Even... well, maybe even a poop bag. But I'm telling you, I don't care if you're like that guy in the book who got blown up and has no arms, legs, deaf, blind, couldn't speak...

"I will love you even if you're like that, maybe even more," she grabbed his cock, "as long as this thing works. So wear a cup, hold your hands down there when the bullets fly, do whatever because that's the only part I can't do without."

He laughed, "Good to know where I stand."

She kissed him. "Come back to me, Tyler. Do whatever you need to do. Do whatever needs to be done, but come back to me, please. Promise me!"

They both knew it was a meaningless promise, "I will, promise."

A month later, Tyler was chuckling as he sent a text, 'Kyra, Bad news. I'm in the hospital again. An explosion took away my new knee and most of my leg above it. I'm doing fine, though, so don't worry.'

'Oh, my God, Tyler. What can I do? What will you need when you get home? Dammit, Tyler, I told you to be careful.'

'The VA will help with everything. I'll keep you posted. Love you. But there's something else... Wait, Doc's here. Gotta go. I'll text soon.'

Kyra was filled with fear and worry, but then reread it, she was smelling a rat. Picking up the phone, "Taylor, have you heard from Tyler?"

"Yeah, he said everything is going well. No problems, no dangers."

"I knew it! He just sent me a text saying his leg was blown off and he was in the hospital." She burst out laughing, "He just sent me a follow-up saying that it may have damaged some nerves because things aren't working right. I told him if something happened to his dick it was over, I was leaving." They both laughed, "Your brother is such a jerk. I'm going to tell him it's over. It'll serve him right. I'll let you know what he says."

'Tyler, honey, I will always treasure the time we had together. There will never be another you. I know you did the best you could with what the good Lord gave you... Blah, blah, blah.

Hope you get better soon. Talked to Taylor and she will be glad to help you.

I'd like to write more, but I have to get some boxes before the store closes.'

Thousands of miles away, Tyler started laughing. "What's so fucking funny, Richards? It's the middle of the fucking night!"

By this time, all six were awake. "She cracks me up. I sent her a note saying I got blown up and lost my leg."

"You're an ass, Snake. Why would you do that?"

"Wait, wait, there's more. She said she would help, do whatever and then I told her I got my cock blown off..." he started laughing again, "and she says she will always treasure the time we had, blah, blah, blah. And then says she'd like to say more, but she has to make it to the store and get some boxes before it closes.

They all started laughing. "Shit, Tyler, if I did that to my wife, she would leave too."

"No, she's giving me crap right back. She said, she could deal with anything except my cock getting injured. Listen to this, she says 'she knows I did the best I could with what the good Lord gave me.'

They all chuckled, "Go to sleep, Richards, lots to do in a couple of hours. It's the big day..."

Two months. Two months without Tyler, but he was coming home! Coming home today! Sexy new dress, hair done just right, makeup, nails--everything was just right. But he was late. They were supposed to drop him off an hour ago.

She heard a car and stood facing the door... hoping...

Moments later, the front door opened and Tyler stepped in. She was about to run to him, but she could tell by looking at his little boy grin, that grin that just melted her heart ever time, that he was up to something so she stayed in place.

"Tonight... I'm not bringing you candy."

She smiled. God, how she loved this man. He just made her fill with joy... "Tyler. You've got candy in your left hand."

"Well, yeah, but it's the stuff I like, for the trip home."

Her smile got bigger, that's my boy. "I see."

"And tonight I ain't bought no flowers."

"Tyler, honey, you have flowers in your other hand. Shit! They're my flowers from the front porch and half of them have roots! You pulled my flowers out by the roots!"

"Oops. He dropped them on the floor. And right now, Angel, I want to slip those angel wings off your back...

"Tyler! What the hell do you guys do over there? Have you been watching those stupid movies that Taylor watches? I swear if you start gettin' all weepy on me..."

"I want you more than you could ever imagine; more than anything in the world." In a voice that was pleading as he looked at you, "I need you. I need go feel you. I need you to make me feel safe. I need you to make me feel like I'm home. i need you to make me feel whole..."

"Now you're talk...." His mouth clamped down on her lips midsentence. She could feel his need. He needed her! Needed her to fulfill his needs. Every part of her flashed to the 'max' position and the tingles between her legs became a roaring fire that needed feeding.

He cupped her buttocks and pulled her close as he rubbed himself against her. Hard! He was already hard! His hand slid down her buttocks and dug between her legs and her knees buckled. One hand shoved her close while the other grabbed her breast and squeezed. She heard noises, but wasn't sure where they came from.

He spun her around and shoved her over the back of the couch and grabbed her breasts from behind. Squeezing hard, rough, but no pain. Her dress was yanked up, he slid one hand underneath to clutch her breast and the other edged around her thong and two fingers entered her.

She thrashed around as her first orgasm rolled over. Lord, she was ready. Her need and excitement were insatiable beasts.

His hands went away. She ached with the loss, but then she heard him unzip his pants and she groaned in expectation. "Hurry, Tyler. Hurry!" A flash of memory of being this excited once before.

A moment of panic, fear and remembrance, but she buried those thoughts. It was Tyler, she was safe. A low groan almost of pain escaped from deep within and her mind filled with need. She was an animal craving release.

"DO IT! Tyler! Do it! Do it! Now!"

Tyler ripped the thong from her body, bent her forward farther, shoved his cock against her slit and shoved it in to the hilt. She moaned, already feeling the next round of orgasmic ripples.

Without pausing, Tyler backed up and rammed himself against her, forcing the air from her body and moving the couch. Over and over, harder, faster, hands clutching her buttocks to hld her in place..

The couch moved with each thrust; a lamp fell off the end table; but she was unaware. Her whole universe was centered between her legs and there was nothing else. The beast needed to be fed. Her hunger needed to be sated.

She was close, so close. Never, not even in Miami and all her moments with Tyler had she felt this need, this excitement, this much fire that needed to be fed. She was moaning as the sensations built and spread out with each thrust. His thrusting stopped for a moment and he lost his rhythm. He moaned as he ejaculated.

NO! No, no, no! She wasn't done and she was so close, so close; but he started moving again, sensing that she wasn't done. "Hard, Tyler. Hard!"

He obliged and she groaned each time he slammed himself to her buttocks and driving her against the couch. She grabbed a cushion on the couch and dug her fingernails into it and covered her mouth as the feeling built up and she screamed. Close, so close.

A finger, two fingers, slid in her back door and buried themselves with each thrust. She became lost. No thoughts, no thinking, just feeling, need. Her universe focused and centered on the area between her legs. It was building, building... a third finger... and she exploded!

With a moan bordering on a scream as the tsunami of pleasure washed over and engulfed her. On and on, she hoped it would never end. She shook and spasmed as it continued followed slowly by disappointment as the sensations slowly dampened off. Like a psychedelic trip when the traveler first realizes the peak is over and he realizes he is starting to come down and that reality was returning.

But, my God, what a trip! What a ride! More than she'd ever imagined was possible. How did he know? She turned around and kissed him. Hard, passionate, full of love and need--a love for him.

He picked her up, carried her to their bed, stripped off his clothes and then roughly started dragging the rest of her clothes off. Damn, she was still so friggin' excited... "I hope you're wearing your splint..."

An hour and a half later she rolled off him and laid on her back. "How the hell do you do it, Tyler? How do you get me so stinking excited... How did you know that I've dreamed about the couch..."

He smirked, "Just normal secret agent stuff."

She turned on her side and kissed him and rubbed her hand on his chest. Looking him in the eyes until their eyes met, "Yes, Tyler."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I will marry you. Whenever, wherever, however you want, but I have to be able to invite my folks and Becca."

"Great. We need to start planning."

"Avery said they could call you up again. Any time, no warning. Like your last trip. Can they call you up again? Just like that? Out of the blue?"

"Yes."

"Then, yes."

He laughed, "Then, yes what?"

"Then you have to marry me and get me pregnant as soon as possible so I can have a piece of you... Damn it, Tyler, I need a piece of you; a living, breathing piece of you to keep with me in case," she faltered, "in case something happened to you. And just so you know, I went off the pill when you left and you're not allowed to wear a raincoat."

"But what if..."

"I don't give a shit about what if's, your fears, or anything else. Hell, really I don't even care if you marry me... But I need this baby, Tyler. Please. Please understand. I know how hard rational thought and human understanding is for you, but... Please!"

"You drive a hard bargain there, Kyra. Promise it'll be a boy that looks like me?"

"Hell no. It'll be a cute little girl that looks like me. We can't have any of the kids looking like that ugly old puss of yours."

He laughed. "Fine."

She slid herself even closer, "Tyler. You are the most incredible man I've ever met; the man I've dreamed about since I was fourteen or so. More man than I ever thought I'd find. So if you get called back and fucking pull some Superman shit and get yourself hurt..." Tearing up, "Well, you just can't do it! Understand?"

"Yes, dear."

"Oh, shut the fuck up, I'm being serious. But, my darling, you have made me very happy and you have been a very good boy so you deserve a reward. I believe it may just be time to show you another one of my tricks."

Rolling on her side and putting a leg over him, preparing to mount, she felt the sheet. "Dammit, Tyler! You got the bed all wet and now I'm going to have to change the sheets."

Smiling, "I don't think I..."

Putting a hand on his mouth and climbing on top, "...'I don't think I should say another word.' Isn't that what you were going to say? Now you better get that snake of yours hard and make me start speaking in tongues and sweating again or I just might change my mind."