Growth 0f Love

by D. Anne Paris

  "What did you ask her?"

  "How long this was going on with him."

  "What did she say?"

  Keith stopped and looked at Dean. "Six years."

  "Six..." Dean did the math. "Wait, he was..."

  Keith nodded.

  "That mother fucker!" He twisted around and punched the workbench, which moved off the ground.

  Keith continued to pace the garage. "He was so fucking lucky he wasn't there when Jennifer told me."

  Dean rubbed his fist and looked back at Keith. "Does Jeri know?"

  Keith stopped. "No, I didn't tell her. She doesn't need to know."

  Dean nodded. "Yeah, there's no good in her knowing about it." He glanced back at Keith. "It really was a blessing in disguise that she couldn't get pregnant with that bastard's kids."

  Keith walked over to the workbench and grabbed the edge of it. "After everything she went through..." He squeezed the wood to vent some of his anger. "All the tests, the hormones, the sadness every time it didn't..." He grabbed a putty knife and flung it across the garage and embedded it in a 2x4 on the other side of the wall.

  "I'm going to de-ball that fucker if I ever see him again!" he roared.

  Dean walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "As much as we hate him, it's not worth going to jail for. We have good things happening to us right now."

  He was right. As much as Jennifer's betrayal hurt and his hatred for Jake inflamed, things could only get better.

  He took a deep breath. "You're right. So how are you and Anne doing?"

  Dean rubbed his face. "As well as we can, considering we had no intention of having a baby so soon. "

  Keith grinned at his friend. "You panicked when you found out, didn't you?"

  Dean looked over at him, irritation lacing on his face. "You would have, too. " He started prying the trim from the window with a crowbar. "I just got back from duty and started to get use to civilian life, and now I'm going to be dad- a dad!" The trim popped off and clanked to the floor.

  He pointed the crowbar at Keith. "I don't know the first thing about kids, and since Anne and I both have powers this kid's going to be gifted." He threw his hands up in the air. "He or she will probably be twice as powerful as the both of us. How am I going to handle that?"

  Keith leaned his back against the workbench. "You're not going to do it alone, Dean. You've got Anne and her parents, not to mention me and Jeri. We're all here for both of you."

  Dean wiped the invisible sweat on his brow. "Not unless you guys want to travel with us."

  Keith's eyes narrowed. "I thought Anne gave up Hollywood."

  Dean took the crowbar and began to pop the second trim. "Yeah, but she still has a couple of commitments she signed before she decided to give it up."

  "But she's pregnant now. Isn't there a clause somewhere that would release her because of it?"

  The second trim popped off, spun up and then clanked on top of the first one on the floor. "Her lawyer looked into it, and there's no loophole. So unless she wants to get sued for millions of dollars, because that's how much the studios would lose if they had to replace her with someone else and take it through the courts, there is no way out of it. Plus, they have ways of filming her at certain angles which won't show she's pregnant. "

  "Shit."

  "Exactly." He placed the crowbar under the third trim.

  "Has there been any change with Hawk?" Hawk was Anne's classic black sports car she’d had since she was a teenager. With Anne's powers to awaken cars, she and Hawk formed an incredible bond, one that made Hawk alive and able to drive on his own. During Anne's abduction he was pushed into a lake, leaving Anne unable to revive him in any way she tried. Keith saw firsthand what her powers could do and shivered at the thought of anyone pissing her off.

  Dean shook his head. "No." He stopped and looked over to Keith. "You know she was going to cut herself and try to pour her blood into him?"

  "That seems a bit harsh."

  "And dangerous, especially in her condition. I had to keep pointing out she had to remember she now had a baby to worry about. That snapped her out of it...for now." He continued to pry on the trim.

  "You think she'll actually try it after..."

  The third trim popped off and slapped Dean in the face. "Shit!" He rubbed his face and kicked the loose trim on the floor. "Yeah, I think she will. He was her best friend, always there when she needed him, never disappointed her. He was like a brother to her and there's nothing she won’t do to bring him back."

  Keith walked over to Dean. "I think she needs to realize we sometimes lose friends and hers is no exception to the rule. We live, we die and others take our place. It's just the way the world works."

  Dean sighed. "You and I know that, but she won't accept it."

  "Maybe her traveling might help. If she doesn't see his shell every day she might start to learn to live without him."

  "I hope you're right." Dean looked around at the window. "It'd be great if you and Jeri would drop in when we're traveling, too. It would be nice to have some non-Hollywood friends around. All that glitz and glamour just wears us down, okay mostly me. I'd love to just be able to unbutton my pants and have a beer at a bar without someone posting a picture of it on the Internet."

  Keith chuckled. "I'm sure that image would bring down the Internet!"

  "Real funny, Sarge!"

  Keith kept laughing as he walked over to help his friend find a way to remove the window. He noticed Dean automatically assumed he and Jeri would be together. He knew it was wishful thinking on his part and maybe some sort of repayment for what Keith did for him. He moved his leg in a different direction to get some of the pressure off his stump. He would do it again to save his friend's life.

  And yet by saving Dean Keith was able to meet Jeri and become good friends. They went through the worst times together and survived. Granted they were never more than friends because of the stupid timing of their relationships. But now it was like an eclipse where the earth and moon aligned just right. No one was standing in their way, so they had a chance to try being more.

  His heart warmed at the thought of having her by his side, of her finally being his. Hopefully, Jeri felt the same way towards him and it wasn't just wishful thinking on his part. A bit of panic hit him. It had been years since he’d dated. What if he did the wrong things or said the wrong things to her? As he and Dean worked on replacing the window he wondered about things, and then he remembered the words of his physical therapist when he started learning to walk on his prosthesis.

  One step at a time. Every day take one more step and soon you'll be running again.

  When they finished with the window Keith vowed to remember that statement as he started a new chapter in his life. Whether it was with Jeri remained to be seen.

  Chapter 6

  Keith zipped up his duffel bag and flung the straps over his shoulder. His heart grew heavy as he prepared to head back to the city. Last night he’d hoped to have some alone time with Jeri, but all their friends stayed late, so by the time they left he could see the exhaustion etched on Jeri's face as she smiled and wished him goodnight.

  This morning he’d had a couple of phone calls about new apartments which he had to take and by the time he sat down to eat breakfast she jumped into the shower. Maybe it would be better to talk to her when he came back. He would bring some flowers and those handmade chocolate truffles she loved from the tiny store in the next town. And dinner, he could make her dinner. His mind raced with other ideas but he didn't want to rush in too fast. First he needed to organize his life back in the city. Fortunately, Anne and Missy's brother Daniel and his girlfriend agreed to let him stay at their place until he could find another apartment. The downside was they only had a futon for him since they had a one-bedroom apartment. It was perfectly fine for him. He’d slept in worse conditions back in the Middle East. Hopefully he wouldn't impose on them too long and one of
the apartments he had appointments to check with would pan out.

  He glanced towards the bed stand drawer where he’d threw the engagement ring. He didn't want to see that thing ever again. Jeri should just pawn it off and use the money to get something she needed.

  He strolled over to the living room where Jeri sat and stared at her laptop.

  Her head whipped in his direction. "You sure you don't want to stay another day?"

  "I would love to, but I need to get a bunch of things done before I go back to work. One of them being a place to live."

  She got up and smiled. "I understand. Thanks so much for your help yesterday, Keith."

  He put the bag down and she walked over to give him a hug. Her hair was so soft against his cheek and he inhaled her scent. She felt so perfect in his arms like they were always meant to be together.

  "I'll always be here to help," he told her when she let him go.

  "You're such a good friend." His heart sank at the word friend. He wanted to be something more to her. Next time he would have more time with her and he would take that leap.

  "Oh, wait here! I have a few things for you to share with Daniel." She glided to the kitchen and started to pack some things.

  Keith sighed and his eyes darted to her computer screen.

  His back stiffened when he saw the site. It was one of those online dating sites. His heart began to sink. As he looked at the ages of the men on the screen his anger rose. They were a good fifteen to twenty years older than he was! Why the hell did she want someone that old when he...

  You're broken. The little devil in his head taunted. They are not. You're not man enough for her.

  "Here you go!" Jeri returned with a grocery bag and saw him looking at her laptop.

  "Online dating?" he boomed so loudly that Jeri took a step back.

  "Yeah. I just wanted to see... " She extended the bag to him.

  He ignored the bag. "Looks more like you want to change their diapers." His tone was ice cold.

  Her eyes narrowed. "I don't need your approval, Keith. If I want to look into..."

  "Geriatrics then you should go to the nursing home in town." He cut her off as his sea blue eyes turned stormy.

  Jeri walked up to him, nostrils flaring. "I'm tired of being alone, Keith." Her eyes started to fill with tears. "And yes, initially I wanted someone who was older so I wouldn't be pressured into having children, but now that I know there's a chance I can have kids I'm changing what I'm looking for. Why can't you be supportive? "

  Because I want to be that man. His heart beat out. I want to be the one to hold you every night and beat the crap out of anyone who hurts you. She'd flee if he told her that.

  "I got to go." He picked up his duffel bag. "I'll be back in a few days to help you finish up."

  "You don't need to. I can manage the rest on my own."

  "It's not a problem," he muttered as he took the bag from her.

  "Keith, you've done so much. I don't want you to overexert yourself."

  A stab went to his heart. She didn't want him there because of his handicap. He knew it, he could never be with her. He'd be more of a liability for her than someone she would love.

  "See you," he grumbled as he slid past her, grabbed his jacket and practically ran out the door. He popped the trunk and threw everything in. Without looking back, he threw his SUV into reverse and spewed rocks everywhere as he backed onto the road and drove the hell out of there.

  ***

  Jeri moved the curtains from the window and saw Keith's white SUV race back towards the city. Tears filled her eyes. She was just replying to a few requests that she wasn't interested before closing her account. She had no idea Keith would get so angry at seeing her on the site, but it didn't mean he could condemn her and her choices. She hated being talked to that way, and there was no way she was going to let him think he could get away with it.

  Still, she’d never seen him lose control of his anger like he did now. Sure, he would joke around but never with such hate like he did now. So why was he so angry she was looking to date older men? He didn't understand there were days where the emptiness of the house just drove her crazy. The summer was easier to manage, since she could take walks or bike ride around the neighborhood, but in the winter when the snow hit and she became boxed in she would have loved to be able to have someone with her. Sure, Elle or Christina would stop in or she would visit Helen and Kenneth, but it just wasn't the same.

  Her head plopped against the window. Maybe she was wrong about Keith. Would he demean her every time she did something he disagreed with? She didn't like the feeling and doubt started to plague her as the cold from the window penetrated her skull.

  A soft beep interrupted her thoughts and she peeled herself away from the window to look at her computer. The new email icon flashed and she double clicked on it. She glanced back towards the window. She needed to move on. Whether it was with or without Keith, only time would tell.

  Her hand shook slightly as she clicked on the message and read it. Maybe this would be the beginning of something promising.

  Chapter 7

  The taste of the bitter gas station coffee didn't jolt Keith’s senses or his mind. Ever since he left Jeri's a few days ago he’d been plagued with nightmares of her being chased by men like the ones in those old reruns of the Benny Hill Show his grandfather used to always watch. Sure, it sounded comical, but it didn't make him laugh. Since he couldn't sleep he spent most of his time in the gym or buried deep in work. He squinted as he tried to make out any new figures around the warehouse.

  "I hope we catch these guys," his partner Dwayne muttered as they sat and waited in the dark.

  Their department had a hot tip that the local drug lord was bringing in a new shipment of a popular drug, so they’d quickly assembled everyone to wait at the exchange site, an old shipping warehouse not far by the lake. Three other teams surrounded the building, with an additional two standing by.

  "Yeah, the chief will be majorly pissed if this doesn't pan out." He took another sip of the bitter syrup.

  So far, the only sign of movement had been a cat fight by one of the dumpsters.

  Keith glanced at the dashboard clock. 3:37am. Where was the shipment? Pretty soon the sun would come up. He doubted they would make the exchange in daylight.

  "If this is false intel then I feel a sick day coming on," Dwayne commented as he took the night vision goggles again and scanned the area.

  "You're a great team player, Dwayne," he muttered as he put the coffee on the dashboard.

  "Hey, I always feel sick when Jones is in a bad mood."

  Keith sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Henry Jones was notoriously famous for having a monstrous fit whenever things didn't go his way. He reminded Keith of an overgrown toddler who isn't able to get the toy he wants the most at the store. How he got to be in his position was a mystery tied with rumors ranging from 'he's connected with the mayor' to 'he's an old friend of the senator's wife'. How he wasn't mandated to go to an anger management class was also a mystery. Either way, they were stuck with him for the foreseeable future.

  "Still nothing," Dwayne muttered, putting the goggles down. "This is starting to not look good." He looked over to Keith. "Speaking of not looking good. How you holding up?"

  Usually Dwayne was not one to pry, so his question shocked Keith. "I'm fine." He flatly told Dwayne.

  "You're lying," he said bluntly. "I've known you for almost three years, and I have never seen you so pissed. I thought you took a vacation with Jennifer?"

  "We broke up."

  "No way! What the hell happened?"

  "Do we have to talk about this, Dwayne?" He was seething inside. Work was the only way he was keeping his sanity right now, and he didn't need his personal life to disturb it.

  "Normally I would say no, but lately, man, you are just difficult to deal with."

  "How?"

  "How!?" Dwayne tried
to keep his voice down. "You almost ripped off the clerk's head when he said they were out of coffee."

  "It's his job to keep it stocked, so he deserved it." He stared at the warehouse, trying to keep his anger at bay.

  "You have just been a completely different person since you came back from your time off. I need to know that you got your head on straight, especially tonight, because we don't know what we are going to be up against, so I need to know my partner will be there to back me up."

  Keith nodded. "You can still trust me Dwayne. I won't let you down."

  Dwayne nodded and looked back at the warehouse. "Good."

  A light in the distance caught Dwayne’s attention and he whipped the night vision goggles on. "Looks like someone's coming to the party."

  Keith stared at the area where his partner pointed. The small light soon expanded. A white, unmarked box truck drove slowly and stopped in front of the bay doors. A minute later the doors rolled open and the truck drove in. The doors closed behind it.

  Keith grabbed the radio. "Bird's in the nest."

  "Affirmative. Circle the nest and report back."

  He nodded. "Affirmative."

  He and Dwayne exited the car and hid behind a shipping crate. The cold winter air slapped Keith in the face and energized him. As they slowly crept towards the warehouse they continued to scan the area for possible traps or guards. He leaned against the shipping container and motioned to Dwayne to keep walking. Dwayne nodded and moved around the container, closer towards the warehouse. Keith scanned the area again to make sure no one lurked in sight. When he was confident it was clear he focused on using his astral projection to check the area. As his projection left his body he slowly moved it towards the warehouse. There were another couple of shipping containers, and he peered through them to find them empty.

  This seems too easy. He thought as his projection moved towards another cluster of containers. It would have helped if there was a sliver of a moon out, but they didn't have that kind of luck tonight with all the clouds. Spotting nothing out of the ordinary, he moved towards the warehouse and walked through the wall.