Can't Stop Loving You

by Lisa Jackson

  Kaycee’s eyes lit up her face and twinkled mischievously. “Are you sure you can handle this?”

  “Very sure,” he replied.

  Nodding her head in confirmation, she rose from her seat and headed for the door.

  “Oh, Kaycee, one more thing. I rough it. That means no electricity or running water, I hope that won’t ruin it for you.”

  “I’m not the one to worry about,” she coolly replied.

  Her response led Kendrick to believe that she was probably right.

  Chapter 12

  “You’re going where?” Sidra exclaimed in disbelief as she followed Kaycee from the family room to the garage where Kaycee began her search for her small cooler.

  “I’m going camping with Kendrick,” she replied as she pulled a tarp from atop the boxes stacked in the corner. She spotted the red cooler sitting back against the wall.

  “A camping trip with Kendrick? Kaycee, have you lost your mind?”

  “Nope,” she replied as she began moving the boxes out of the way. They were heavy. She wondered what was inside them.

  “Grant told me that he invited you to the Anthony Hamilton concert and you turned him down because you said you had plans.”

  “That’s right,” Kaycee sang as she pulled the cooler from its spot.

  Sidra exhaled loudly. “And your plans include a fishing trip?”

  “Uh-huh,” Kaycee confirmed with a preoccupied nod.

  “Kaycee, are you crazy?”

  Kaycee looked at Sidra and giggled. “Maybe I am.”

  Sidra took the cooler from Kaycee’s hands and set it on the garage floor.

  “Can I have your attention please!”

  Kaycee sucked her teeth and cocked her head to the side, annoyed by Sidra’s interruptions. “Sidra, what is it?”

  She had exactly one hour to finish packing and get into bed so that she could rise early in the morning.

  “I’ll tell you what it is. You are making a fool of yourself by getting involved with that man.”

  Kaycee looked at Sidra as though she wanted to slap her. “What are you talking about?” she asked. She picked up the cooler and headed back inside the house.

  “He’s your neighbor, he’s your boss and most important—he’s old enough to be your daddy! What are you gaining by involving yourself with him?”

  Kaycee placed the cooler on the counter and spun around in anger. “For your information, Sidra, Kendrick and I are not involved, we are just friends. Furthermore, if I choose to take it to another level, it’s no one’s business but mine.”

  Sidra sighed. “I’m just looking out for you, girl.”

  “I’m a grown woman.”

  “You’re also a woman who already lost a good portion of her life on a man who wasn’t worth two dead flies. Thank God you got a revelation and let him go. I just don’t want to see you make the same mistake that you made with Paul.”

  Kaycee inhaled deeply and closed her eyes before exhaling slowly through her mouth.

  “Thank you for your advice, Sidra, but I know what I’m doing.”

  Sidra picked up her purse, “Kayce, don’t be mad at me. I’m just looking out for your best interests.”

  “Oh, really? Since you know so much, what are my best interests?”

  “I know you want to be married. I know you want kids. Is he willing to give you those things?”

  Kaycee rolled her eyes in irritation. “Listen Sid, Kendrick is a very nice man. I really enjoy his company and I’m going on this fishing trip. I’m not trying to marry him and I’m not trying to bear his children. He asked me to go and I accepted. You know I love to fish.” She began to push Sidra to the front door. “Now, I appreciate your concerns, but I am a big girl.”

  Sidra dug her feet into the floor long enough to say, “I hope so,” before stumbling out.

  Kaycee groaned as the door closed behind her. She neither needed nor wanted Sidra’s advice about Kendrick.

  She hoped she hadn’t made a mistake telling her friend about the trip. After all, she and Kendrick had decided to keep it from the staff at Jireh. Although the trip was innocent, they didn’t want there to be any talk. As far as the staff knew, Kendrick was going fishing alone and Kaycee was taking a couple of days off.

  There was definitely something special between the two of them, and it was so good that she wasn’t about to let any social mores or personal opinions sabotage it.

  Kaycee’s cell phone rang at exactly four o’clock. She was up, sitting at the island in her kitchen and drinking a cup of coffee.

  “Hello.”

  “Are you ready?” Kendrick’s smooth voice asked, causing Kaycee to smile.

  “Ready and waiting on you,” she replied. “I got coffee, would you like a cup?”

  “Oh, so you’re in the coffee business now?” he joked. “I guess you have learned some things since you’ve been at Jireh after all.”

  “Ha, ha. Come on in, the garage door is up.”

  For the trip, Kaycee had selected a practical yet comfortable outfit: sporty khaki capri pants, her favorite orange polo shirt and a pair of matching sneakers. Kendrick surprised her by arriving dressed in similar attire: khaki painter-style jeans, orange T-shirt and boots. There was no way that anyone could tell that the man was a day over thirty-five.

  “You got the memo,” he teased, entering through the door to the garage and spotting her outfit.

  Kaycee laughed along with him, and snuck an appreciative glance as he reached for her bag.

  He turned around quickly, catching her in the act of watching him.

  “Now, Ms. Jordan, I know you aren’t trying to flatter me.”

  “Kendrick!” she cried out with embarrassment. “Even if I was, you didn’t have to say anything.”

  He laughed as he said, “Kaycee, I like seeing you get all embarrassed.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Because it shows that you’re human,” he replied evenly, flicking a curled finger gently beneath her chin.

  Excitement fluttered in her stomach as she grabbed the cups of coffee that she had poured into traveling mugs and followed him.

  The engine on Kendrick’s black truck hummed softly in the darkness. He pressed the button unlocking the doors and the pair walked to the back to load her things. Kaycee spotted portable lounge chairs, a boom box, a case of CDs ranging from R&B to neo-soul to jazz-and-blues, and a bag containing a six-pack of Pepsi, a large bag of Doritos and peanut M&Ms.

  “Kendrick, what are these for?” she asked.

  “For you,” he solemnly replied as he maneuvered things around to make room for her bags.

  “Y-you did this for me?” she asked. She didn’t know what to make of his gesture. It was acts of kindness such as this that warmed her heart and restored her faith in the man.

  “Yes,” he replied without looking at her. “I wanted your trip to be comfortable.”

  “Thank you,” she said touched by his thoughtfulness. “I appreciate it.”

  At the sound of the shakiness in her voice, he spun around and gazed into her eyes. “You’re welcome.”

  No other words were exchanged as they put all of her things inside and went around to get in their seats.

  As Kendrick backed out of the driveway and onto the road, Kaycee thought of the chemistry between them. It was heavy, filled with fire and connection. She couldn’t understand how one minute she loathed him and the next minute she wanted him. Finally, an inkling of understanding crept into her consciousness, making her wonder if they were strong enough to return from this trip the same way that they left.

  They drove nearly three hours out of the city to a quiet rural community that was just waking. Kaycee could see the signs of life as they passed the lit-up truck stop and local café. Kendrick drove through the town and on for about five minutes before turning off onto a gravel road.

  The truck bounced and jiggled on the uneven road and Kaycee hoped that this was no indication of what was to come. The firs
t thing that came to mind was the Beverly Hillbillies before they went Beverly Hills.

  Although she was the outdoors type, she wasn’t as rustic as she’d made Kendrick believe. She was still female and desired the luxuries synonymous with being one.

  About a mile along the gravel road, Kendrick made a turn onto a road that was lined with dense trees. Kaycee was immediately reminded of the out-of-the-way campsites featured in the scary movie Friday the 13th. Deliverance also came to mind. After all, they were in the north Georgia mountains! The thought of being dragged away by a psychopathic hillbilly made her shudder.

  Kendrick must have picked up on her mounting fears because he reached over and grabbed her hand.

  “It’s not so bad,” he assured her. “I know this area like the back of my hand. I know many of the towns-people, as well. You have nothing to be afraid of.”

  His ability to read her emotions was enough to make her relax.

  The cabin was set in the middle of a clearing. It was a new cabin designed to look antiquated, with its open porch and wooden swing. However, the grass was somewhat overgrown, as if no one had inhabited the place in some time.

  “I know it doesn’t look like a palace,” Kendrick began, “but believe me, the inside will change your mind.”

  He jumped out of the truck and cursed as he realized how high the foliage had grown, reaching almost as high as his knees. “That damn Jack knew I was coming out today,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “He could have had the decency to cut the grass before he left.”

  “Who’s Jack?” Kaycee asked from her seat in the car. She was still trying to gather up enough nerve to get out.

  “A friend. We both own this cabin. He was up a couple of weeks ago and knew that I was coming up this weekend. He promised me that he would cut the grass.”

  “Oh,” was all Kaycee could reply, while hoping and praying that Kendrick had been pulling her leg about the amenities and that there was hot running water inside.

  Kendrick went around the back of the truck and began to remove the contents.

  “Should you check the inside first?” Kaycee called out uneasily from the front seat.

  “It’s fine,” he answered in return. He slipped his bag on one shoulder and hers on the other, placed the folding chairs under his arms and the coolers in his hands and headed up the cobbled walk.

  “Wait here and I’ll be right back,” he instructed.

  “You don’t have to tell me twice,” she answered with a shudder.

  When he unlocked and opened the door, she leaned forward to see if he would be met by a tangle of cobwebs attached to a big hairy spider or two; she was surprised there was none.

  She sat and waited and waited for him to return to give her the okay. About fifteen minutes passed before she got tired of waiting. She said a prayer for protection, grabbed her purse and stepped out.

  She tiptoed through the grass, trying to avoid an encounter with a sleeping snake. When she reached the walk, she ran the rest of the way until she was on the porch.

  She stood there for a few seconds mentally preparing herself for the most simplistic living experience. Her experience in summer camp came to mind.

  Creaky floors, hard thin mattresses on hard beds, a fireplace for a stove and heat source and a pump at the sink. And as for indoor plumbing—forget it. The Moon, as it was called, was fifty yards out back.

  However, when she crossed the cabin’s threshold, she was surprised to feel as though she had stepped right into a home decor magazine. She could see that her fears could be put to rest. The room screamed “decorator” from its hand-carved knickknacks to the faux bear head mounted on the wall.

  The colors of red, brown and cream covering the chairs and sofa in different patterns and textures added a sophisticated flair. What caught her eye immediately was the ten-foot-high limestone fireplace with an opening tall enough for an adult to walk into.

  “Kendrick!” she called out his name.

  When the toilet flushed in response, she raised her hands to the heavens—thank you Lord! Running water!

  He stepped out of the bathroom drying his hands on a towel.

  “Does the place meet your expectations?”

  “Does it!” she exclaimed, looking around at the comfortable decor. “This is very nice!”

  “Thank you,” he replied. “I put your things in the bedroom straight back.”

  Kaycee turned to see the lone door at the end of the hallway. Although cozy and fashionably decorated, the cabin was small with only one bedroom and one bathroom.

  “Where are you going to sleep?” she asked out of curiosity.

  He patted the couch. “It sleeps very well.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t do that. I can’t put you out.”

  “It’s okay. Besides, I need to be out here to protect you.”

  “Protect me from what?”

  “Lions, tigers or bears.”

  Kaycee laughed. “Anyway.”

  “Seriously, I would rather be out here. I put your things in the bedroom. Now, let’s get to the lake before the fish decide to sleep in.”

  Grabbing her wide-brimmed straw hat, Kaycee jumped to it and helped to put the remainder of the things away. Finally, with tackle boxes, folding chairs and rods in hand, the pair scampered down the hill to the picturesque lake below. The view was magnificent, and Kaycee stopped frequently to take it all in.

  The lake was surrounded by trees and meadows that were scattered with colorful wildflowers. At its edge was a wooden pier. A tire swing hanging from one of the trees brought Norman Rockwell paintings to mind.

  “Kendrick, this is beautiful!” Kaycee breathed.

  He turned with a thoughtful smile. “I thought you would like it.” He reached for her hand and led her down the rest of the path and onto the pier.

  Kendrick handed Kaycee the fishing rods as he set up everything. Kaycee was too awestruck to help. The clean air filled her nose and she inhaled deeply, cleansing her lungs.

  The sound of birds singing and crickets chirping was beautiful music to her ears.

  “This is so amazing,” she said in awe. “You know, all my life, I thought I was a city girl, but I seriously think I could live out here.”

  “Could you really?” Kendrick asked with his head cocked to the side in disbelief.

  She nodded, gazing around. “It’s so beautiful.”

  As they both stood taking in the sights and sounds, a pair of deer broke through the brush on the opposite side of the lake. Kaycee held her breath as they timidly stepped down to the edge of the lake for a drink.

  “Oh, look,” she cooed softly.

  “Shh,” he whispered, leading her over to the chairs that he’d set up.

  Kaycee eased down in the chair and removed her jacket. Kendrick did the same. As they watched the life around them awaken, they totally forgot about fishing.

  About an hour later, the darkness gave way to the light and it was time to do what they came for. Kendrick took Kaycee’s rod to prepare the line, but she took it from his hands.

  “Kendrick, I’m not a wimpy girl. I know how to do this,” she scolded him.

  He let it go without a word and watched as she swung the rod back and whipped it quickly forward, sending it deep into the center of the lake.

  “Good job!” he exhorted.

  She did a little shoulder dance, picked up her soda and eased back into her seat.

  Simultaneously, they both lowered their hats onto their heads and waited.

  In a matter of hours, the temperatures had climbed to a sweltering ninety degrees. Kendrick leaned over the bucket between them and looked down at the dozen or so fish flopping in the shallow water.

  “It’s getting kind of hot,” he announced peering up into the sky. “I think we should call it quits. We did pretty good, don’t you think?”

  “We?” Kaycee asked. “Most of those are mine.”

  Kendrick laughed. “Okay, I’ll give it to you. You kn
ow what you’re doing.”

  “Thank you,” she replied. “That’s all I needed to hear.” She sat up and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She picked up the bucket and started for the edge of the pier.

  He jumped up and grabbed her by the wrist.

  “Where are you going with those?”

  “Tossing them back in,” she casually replied. She lifted the bucket only to be stopped by his hand once more.

  “Why would you do that?”

  “Didn’t I tell you that I don’t eat the fish that I catch?”

  He frowned. “You don’t eat the fish you catch? What kind of mess is that?”

  She shrugged. “I can’t make myself do it.”

  “Well, you’re fine to throw your fish back, but I will be eating mine,” he said taking the bucket from her.

  “You talking about those three little trout?” she teased. “Because you know the majority of them are mine.”

  “Ha, ha. I bet you’ll be begging for some of that trout tonight when I fry it up.”

  “Let’s hope that’s all I’ll be begging for,” she mumbled.

  “What did you say?” he asked with a raised brow.

  Kaycee stilled as heat radiated up her neck and onto her face. She hoped he hadn’t heard her comment. “Nothing.”

  Kendrick shrugged and picked up the bucket and fishing poles.

  “I’ll show you around before we go back to the cabin.”

  “Cool,” she said, liking the idea of exploring her surroundings.

  It didn’t take them long to cover the premises. As they walked along, Kendrick explained how the trees and brush were strategically placed to give the cabin more of a private, out-of-the-way feel.

  There was a storage barn where he kept ATVs and yard equipment, and a man-made gravel trail took them all the way around the lake and up a hill where there was a combination hunting stand and treehouse complete with a step ladder and rope.

  “Would you like to go up and see the view?” he asked.

  “Sure,” she replied.

  Kendrick allowed her to climb first. When she got a third of the way up he followed. Once Kaycee got to the top, Kendrick had to shimmy up behind her to push open the trapdoor. He was so close to her that he could smell the fresh scent of her hair lotion and feel her shiver from his closeness. Although his position was innocent, it was intimate all the same.