An Unexpected Rescue (Oak Springs Series Book 1)

by Sherri McDuffie

  “Today’s Friday, remember. It’s your day off. Go back to bed if you’d like. I’ve got this,” Derik said, nodding toward the boys.

  “For heaven’s sake, I didn’t mean I wouldn’t fix your meals.” Kelly poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. “I was going to have dinner ready so you could heat it up tonight. Is that okay?”

  “I can throw some sandwiches together. A day off is a day off.”

  “Well, in that case, I may go in and get my nails and hair done for tonight,” she said as she headed upstairs.

  “Yeah, that’s fine,” he grumbled as he shoved a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. Just fine!

  Derik was outside with the boys when Stan came to pick Kelly up for their date. He may have planned it that way, but no one had to know. He studied the man as he exited his car. Stan’s a nice-enough-looking guy, as far as guys go, Derik thought.

  Stan walked over and greeted Derik with a smile and warm handshake. He was talking to the boys when Kelly opened the front door. All four of them turned and stared. She wore a rose-colored dress that wrapped around her body, accentuating every curve, while managing to be modest. Her heels and bag were a deeper shade than the dress. Her hair was pulled up with soft curls around her temples.

  D.C. broke the silence. “Wow, Kelly! You look pretty. Like a real woman.”

  “She is a real woman,” Win said as he nudged his brother in the ribs.

  “She sure is,” Derik said under his breath, not taking his eyes off her.

  “You can say that again,” Stan said, stepping forward and offering her his hand.

  “I have my key, and I’ll try to not disturb anyone when I get home. We won’t be late,” she said before getting into Stan’s car.

  “Bye, Kelly!” the boys yelled as they waved to the couple.

  “She sure looked pretty, didn’t she, Daddy?” asked Win.

  “Yes, son, she sure did,” Derik said as he watched the car disappear down the road.

  Later that night Derik lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with his hands clasped behind his head. When an automobile passed the house, he glanced at the clock on the nightstand and sighed. He rolled over, punched his pillow, and looked at the clock again. When he heard the sound of a car pulling into the drive, he held his breath and listened. Voices and laughter floated in the air as Stan escorted Kelly to the front door. Laughter isn’t good. Laughter means they’re having a good time. He punched his pillow once more.

  He heard the door close and Kelly’s steps on the stairs. Instead of going to her room, she turned and went to the boys’ rooms where he was sure she kissed and tucked them both in. He listened to her moving about until he heard the shower, and for the next few minutes, visions of Kelly wet and naked filled his imagination, and he groaned out loud. He didn’t go to sleep until she shut off her light and the house grew silent. Just as he drifted off, the scent of strawberries and honey floated through the air.

  The next morning Derik hid behind the newspaper listening to the boys question Kelly about her date.

  “Did you have fun on your date, Kelly?” asked Win. “What did you do?”

  “Did he take you to a fancy place to eat?” D.C. asked. “Did you order real fancy food? Stew says when he takes girls out on a date it costs lots of money because they always pick fancy food. What did you eat? Daddy cooked us hot dogs.”

  She smiled when Win peppered her with more questions before she had a chance to answer.

  “Did you go to a scary movie? I don’t like scary movies. They give me bad dreams. Sometimes, if I get real scared, Daddy lets me get in his bed,” said D.C.

  “Stan took me to a very nice restaurant, and I ate salmon, which I don’t think was very expensive. Then we went to the late movie, and it wasn’t scary. Scary movies give me bad dreams, too,” Kelly said with a wink toward D.C. “I had a good time. He’s a very nice man.”

  Derik turned the page of the newspaper with more energy than was necessary. Damn, I knew he was going to impress her. He took a drink of coffee and burned his tongue.

  “Did he kiss you?” Win asked. “When people on TV date, they always kiss. That’s why I’m not ever going on a date. Never. Daddy and Mommy used to kiss a lot.”

  Derik held his breath.

  “Yes, Win, he did kiss me, but only on the cheek. A kiss is something special, and you shouldn’t kiss someone unless you care about them. Which is why your mother and father kissed a lot. They cared about each other very much.”

  Derik struggled to keep his sigh of relief from being heard. She didn’t kiss Stan because she didn’t care for him. He suddenly felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.

  Over the next few days, things were less strained around the house, and Derik was more talkative than he’d been in some time. That lasted about three weeks.

  Kelly asked for a day off to go hiking with another man she had met at the diner. This time Derik asked her the man’s name.

  “Joe Layton. He’s a carpenter, and divorced. He seems pretty nice. Sort of shy, but Penny says he opens up when he gets to know you better.”

  “Penny, huh?” Derik said as he leaned against the counter and folded his arms across his chest. “Did she introduce you? Did he just happen to be in the diner on a Wednesday when you stopped in for lunch? She’s suddenly become quite a little matchmaker, hasn’t she?”

  “Well, she’s aware that I don’t know a lot of people in town, and when she sees someone in the diner, she introduces us. I think she’s just trying to be nice, since we got off on the wrong foot.”

  Derik shifted and crossed his ankles. I don’t think Penny is trying to be nice at all. I think she’s trying to fix you up with every available bachelor in town so you will stay away from me. I knew Penny was jealous the first time she saw us together. I just never expected her to go this far to drive a wedge, or boyfriend, between us. She’s inviting these gigolos to the diner just so she can introduce you. I’ve got to hand it to the little wench. She is clever.

  “I don’t know this Joe Larson or Layton or whatever his name is,” Derik said. “You say he’s divorced? Why? How do you know he didn’t cheat on his wife?”

  “Derik, how dare you! You don’t even know the man, and you’re already accusing him of all sorts of things. When we had lunch together, he seemed very quiet and polite. And for your information, he said the divorce was because she ran around on him.”

  “Probably bored her to death. And if he’s that shy, he’ll bore you to death, too. You just wait, you’ll be yawning halfway through the date.”

  Kelly laughed. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, let’s give the guy a chance. Who knows, once he warms up a little, he may turn out to be my Prince Charming,” she said as she went up the stairs.

  “That’s what I’m worried about. That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” Derik mumbled under his breath as he watched her disappear into her room.

  On Saturday morning, Derik was watching television when Joe arrived. He took a moment to size the man up when he opened the door. I guess some women might call the guy attractive, if they like the rugged type. Personally, I think he could use a haircut and a sharper razor. Joe introduced himself with a solid handshake. Nothing to fault there. He tried to make small talk but didn’t get a lot out of the guy. Kelly was putting it mildly when she said he was a little shy.

  Derik looked up when Kelly came down the stairs. She was in jeans, a pink t-shirt, and sturdy boots. There was a small backpack in her hand. Her hair was in a ponytail pulled through the back of her pink baseball cap. She is as cute as a button.

  Joe Layton also turned his attention toward the stairs. The shy, backward man suddenly transformed before Derik’s eyes. He stood taller as he pulled his shoulders back and met Kelly with a warm smile. He took the pack from her and said, “Hi there. You
look great. Ready to do this?” As he escorted her toward the car, he added, “I brought some food so we can stop for a picnic on the trail when we get hungry. A lot of my friends hike, so don’t be surprised if we run into some people I know.” He closed the car door, barely giving her time to wave toward the porch where Derik stood.

  “Shy my foot,” Derik said under his breath as he turned and headed back into the house. That’s just a ploy he uses to attract women. He sure didn’t sound shy to me.

  Derik thought about Kelly all day. Once he tucked the boys into bed, he sat in front of the television, sulking. He heard the car pull into the drive, and moments later, she came in and headed straight for the stairs.

  “Good time?” he asked.

  “It was okay, I guess.” She stopped and said, “No, to be honest, I didn’t have a good time. We hiked all day and only stopped long enough to eat lunch.” She sighed as she eased herself down on the bottom step. “Joe is very experienced and was obviously in his element. I wanted to stop and enjoy the scenery and he wanted to teach me about every plant and bird we saw.” She shifted and began to untie her boot. “We did stop for a minute when we met another couple he knew. He is a nice man, but I’ll admit that you were right. After a few hours, I was bored. It was like being trapped in a never-ending science class.” She untied the other shoe and said, “My feet and legs are throbbing. For the past two hours, I’ve thought of nothing but a long hot bath.” She turned and climbed the stairs, with a moan accompanying each step.

  Derik was still on the sofa watching a game when she returned wearing her pink robe. He was stretched out with his stocking feet on the coffee table, his arms folded across his chest. “Feel better?”

  “Yes, I haven’t had that much exercise in ages. I’m sure I’ll pay for it tomorrow. What did you guys do tonight?”

  Derik patted the sofa, inviting her to sit down. “We stopped for pizza then went bowling.” He laughed and said, “You should’ve seen D.C. I think the boy hit the floor as often as the ball did. Win has some talent. He actually did pretty well for a kid his size. We had a good time. We’ll probably do it again.”

  “Sounds like you had fun. I’m sure the boys will tell me all about it tomorrow.”

  “Do you bowl, Kelly?” he said, staring at the television. “Want to join us?”

  “I’m not very good at it. I might spend as much time mopping the floor as D.C., but I enjoy it. I’d love to go, if you wouldn’t mind. I think it would be fun.”

  Kelly leaned against the couch cushion, assuming the same pose as Derik. “Who’s playing?” she said, nodding toward the screen.

  “No idea.”

  “What’s the score?”

  “Not a clue.”

  Chapter 13

  At ten after three in the morning, a loud thump and moan from Kelly’s room brought Derik out of a sound sleep. He hit the floor in a run, stepping into his sweatpants as he rushed into the hallway. He barged through her door, without waiting to knock. She was lying on the floor, clutching her leg, her face distorted in pain. “Cramp,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Here, let me.” He knelt beside her, turned her onto her stomach, and took her calf into his hands. The muscle was tight and knotted under his fingers. He began to rub and massage, while she continued to clinch her teeth and groan. He eventually began to feel the muscle relax. As he kneaded the back of her leg, his eyes scanned her body. She was on her stomach, with her head on her arms. The hem of her t-shirt had worked its way up to lay across a firm rump, covered in pink lace. Derik sat back on his heels, and as easily as possible, pulled the hem down to cover her rear. “How’s that? Any better?”

  Kelly rolled over and leaned on her elbows. Her hair fell down her back, and a shoulder peeked from the loose collar of her shirt. “Yes, thank you. When it woke me, I tried to get up, and fell. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  “That’s okay. Think you can stand?” He stood and stretched out his hand.

  Kelly took it and pulled herself up. “Yes, I’m fine now, thank—OUCH!” she yelled as she bent and grabbed her leg again.

  “Here, let’s walk it out.” He slid an arm around her waist and led her into the hall.

  When they reached the top of the stairs, he scooped her into his arms, causing her to gasp and cling to his neck. He carried her to the floor below then stood her on her feet and began walking her around the house. She limped through the living room and kitchen, leaning against his arm. After several laps, he guided her to the sofa and had her lay on her stomach again. He sat beside her and began to manipulate the calf muscle with his strong fingers, working his way from her foot to her knee, and back.

  After several minutes, she rolled over and sat up. “I’m sorry. This is so embarrassing. I never should have gone on that stupid hike. I knew I wasn’t in shape. I’ve kept you up half the night already.”

  Derik stared at her loose shirt, tangled hair, and sleepy face. He leaned forward and gently touched his lips to hers. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. She was staring at him. He didn’t see fear, or rejection . . . only questions. He leaned forward and kissed her again, and this time she kissed him back. His arm went around her, pulling her to his chest. Her arms slid around his neck. He tilted his head to lay his mouth against hers. His lips went to her neck and traveled across the bare shoulder. She threw her head back, exposing her throat to his warm tongue.

  Kelly’s breath came fast. A soft sigh escaped through her parted lips. She ran her hands up his bare chest, letting her fingers thread through the light dusting of hair and her nails dance across his nipples. He groaned against her neck.

  “Derik, we can’t . . .” Her head fell forward on his shoulder.

  “Kelly,” he whispered against her temple.

  “No, Derik. We can’t do this. We agreed. This is business. Oh, please stop, I can’t think when you do that.” She moaned as he nibbled her ear.

  He sighed and laid his forehead against hers. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I was out of line.” He stood and took her hand in his, pulling her to her feet. He looked in her eyes, took her warm body in his arms, and kissed her again. “Let’s go upstairs. I’ll help you to your room. Do you think you can sleep now?”

  “No, I don’t. But not because of my leg.” When they reached her room, she turned and laid her hand on his chest. “Thank you, Derik, for everything.”

  He cradled her face in his hands. “I’ll be dreaming about you tonight.” He kissed her softly. “Now, go to bed, while I still have a shred of self-control.” He turned, stepped across the hall, and shut the door behind him.

  The next morning, the four of them went about their normal routine of preparing breakfast. As they sat around the table, the boys carried on conversations about friends, school, a turtle they found, and their bowling games.

  Derik and Kelly kept glancing at each other over their coffee and toast. She blushed every time he looked at her. When her eyes met his, he squirmed in his seat.

  “Kelly, I asked you a question.” D.C. said. “Will you go bowling with us sometime? It was fun. Daddy said I did real good. Didn’t you, Daddy?”

  “I sure did, champ. As a matter of fact, I’ve already invited Kelly to go with us. And she said yes. When do you guys want to go again?” Derik asked, without taking his eyes off her.

  “Can we go again Friday? Kelly, do you have a date on Friday? Do you want to go bowling with us this weekend?” asked Win.

  Derik continued to look at her. “I think this weekend would be fine. How about it? Do you have a date, Kelly?”

  “No, I don’t. This weekend sounds good to me.”

  After breakfast, the boys begged Kelly to go outside with them, where they spent the rest of the morning playing ball. She prepared sandwiches, and they had a picnic under the tree that housed their fort.

&n
bsp; On Monday, after Derik left for work and the boys got on the bus, Kelly called Mikki. She sat on the back deck and sipped coffee, while she explained everything that had been happening. “I’ve met a few guys and actually been on a couple of dates. One was a real nice man, but it was like going out with my cousin. The second guy was some sort of nature guru. If I got him off the subject of botany or birds, he’d clam up. The entire date was like being in college all over again.” She sat back and sighed. “Then when Derik kissed me—”

  “Whoa, hold on, back up! Derik kissed you? What kind of kiss? Was this a nice little, I-think-you’re-sweet kiss? Or a real, tickle-the-tonsils kiss?”

  “Yeah, a weak-in-the-knees, butterflies-in-the-tummy, curling-the-toes, sighing-in-your-dreams kiss.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Kissed him back.”

  “You kissed him back? Then that means you like him, right?”

  “I don’t know, Mikki. He’s handsome. Nice. Considerate. Sexy. A great father. And he’s a terrific kisser. But we agreed this was going to be strictly business. This is a great job, a great place to live, and I love the boys. I don’t want to ruin anything. But yes, I like him. I like him a lot.”

  “Oh girl, that’s a game changer. You’ve got to decide what you want to do, now. I vote for telling him how you feel then jumping his bones.”

  “Mikki, that’s awful. I can’t do that.”

  “Okay, you’re right, but you can still tell him how you feel. What are you waiting for? Follow your heart, Kelly.”

  “That’s the problem, Mikki. My body and hormones are screaming so loud I can’t hear what my heart’s saying. All I know is that I don’t want this to be casual or just about sex. I want it to be real. I want more.”