She shuffled his papers in to neat piles in the top drawer to make room for her writing instruments and came across a large manila envelope “Stephen’s Important Documents” scribbled across the front. Cautiously she pulled back the flap and looked inside. It appeared to be some sort of certificate. She slid it out just a bit and was stunned to find it was from Stanford University, conferring the degree of Bachelors of Science in Engineering Technology upon one Stephen Long, Jr. It was dated 1996. She quickly slid it back in its envelope and placed the envelope back in the drawer exactly how she had found it.
Another mystery; how does a young man with such an obviously bright future, a B.S.E.T. from Stanford, wind up in Alaska working as a welder? What had he run away from? There had to be many opportunities in Alaska for a degreed engineer; why welding? Maybe the loss of his father destroyed him? Or was it something to do with the Amanda tragedy that Marv had mentioned. Each day with him brought more questions than answers.
She was trying hard not to be nosey but some things just couldn’t be helped. There were some basic things about him she needed to know if they were to have a future together. She picked up his contacts book and flipped through the pages noticing that most everyone in town was, or had been at one time, a customer of Stephen’s.
Given this list of names she guessed that it wasn’t too odd that he had her novels. Phyllis, the Spirit Air co-owner was in the list. Over the last five years she had given Phyllis copies of every book she had written.
And Judd Hadley, the owner of the general store, had an entry. When she had first moved into her Hanlon home she shopped at his store for the basics. She noticed he kept a shelf near the front with books, for sale, or to borrow and return. When Judd found out that Kelly was a published author, and a successful one at that, he ordered several copies of her books to be sent up from the lower forty-eight and then took it upon himself to fill everyone in town in on their new local celebrity.
Between Judd and Phyllis, undoubtedly one of them had supplied Stephen with copies of her books. But the question of why he had acquired them in the first place and felt the need to hide them, still remained. That question, and the degree from Stanford would keep her inquisitive brain busy.
Kelly was in the kitchen starting dinner when he returned. As was his normal routine at the end of the work day he showered and changed into fresh clothes. He then found her in the kitchen and demanded his kiss, which usually led to two or three more. Sometimes he left her wondering how it was that they ever got a meal made.
With dinner cooking Kelly twisted the tops off of two bottles of beer, handed one to Stephen and suggested they go sit in the living room until dinner was ready. Stephen readily agreed and followed her down the hall. They both chose chairs offering a mountain view. Stephen noticed that the boxes previously in the corner near his desk were gone and made mention of it to Kelly.
“Yes, I got a lot done this afternoon” she nodded to his book cases. He glanced in their direction but didn’t seem to notice any difference.
His eyes turned back to the mountain-view and he replied “I’m glad you found space for your things.”
They didn’t’ speak for a long while, enjoying the scene of distant mountains awash in sun light. This time of year with the extra hours of daylight watching a sunset was rare.
Kelly wasn’t sure what thoughts were so deeply occupying Stephen’s mind, but he seemed to be reading hers when a few minutes later he turned to the book cases again. After scanning the shelves he turned to meet her gaze, his steely eyes a little wider than normal.
Was it Kelly’s imagination or was their just a little twinge of guilt behind those incredible gray eyes? “You have very unusual taste in reading material” she stated with a smug smile.
Guessing her intention he replied casually “that I do.”
Her books; he had neglected to tell her that he had read some of her books over the two weeks that she spent with Charlie. He was anxious to see what kind of writer she was, what made her tick. But somewhere between late afternoon and late night he had found himself lost in her stories. After the night they had shared he knew well the degree of passion she was capable of, but he had been unprepared for the sensual style and depth of her writing. Still waters do indeed run deep. There were parts of each book that had even him blushing, and wanting her madly.
She must have found them stashed behind the others and wondered why he would hide them from her. It was not that he was intentionally trying to keep them from her, or prevent her from knowing that he had read them, even though they were obviously not written for or marketed to men. But reading her books, combined with what he already knew about her sexually, somehow conveyed a level of intimacy that he wasn’t sure she would yet be comfortable sharing with him. At least that was what he had been thinking at the time. Since then the intimacy in their relationship has progressed significantly and he relished the idea of it continuing to do so.
“When did you pick up an interest in contemporary romance?” she pressed.
He grinned sheepishly “about three weeks ago.”
“Why” she asked.
“What better way to learn more about you?”
“And what did you learn?”
“I learned that despite your previously chosen life of solitude, your passion and desires run deep. They’re all laid out right there in black and white.” He was teasing her.
Kelly blushed and felt the stirrings of those desires. She rose without saying a word and went to the kitchen to turn off the stove. She returned to his side, took his hand and pulled him to his feet. Leading him into the bedroom she said “I still have plenty of questions about your motives but for right now I want to more thoroughly explore the depth of my desires.” He went willingly and grinning like a fool the entire way down the hall.
They ate dinner that night at nine o’clock.
Chapter 12
When Stephen got up to put on the coffee Friday morning Kelly reached for her cell phone. She had vaguely registered a chirp and vibration a few hours earlier, indicating the presence of a message and at that time of night it was most likely her agent. Dale was the only person she knew who did not keep regular hours, especially for sleeping.
“Kelly, it’s Dale, again. Listen I don’t know what’s going on with you but could you please call me back? I left you a message last week and never heard back from you. Your publisher has had a revised contract drawn up, with new dates, since you’ve missed the old ones. I put it in the mail and you should have it by now. You will need to initial the dates, sign it, and send it back ASAP. Kelly, this is serious. They’ve given you a break because you’re their rock star but if you don’t meet these new dates the next thing they will send you is a non-performance cancellation and a request for their advance back, dead serious. Call me.”
Kelly hit the end button, letting go of a big sigh. Dale was right of course. She had pushed this as far as she could. It was time to get back to work.
In the kitchen the coffee was ready and Stephen was gulping down his breakfast. As she poured a cup she told him about her phone message and that she would need to go to town for her mail. He laughed softly, between bites adding “what are they going to do, fire you?”
“They could, if I don’t get something to them soon and then you’ll be stuck supporting me! But I won’t feel too bad for you because all of this is your fault in the first place. You’re continually distracting me!” She flashed him her most tempting smile.
“Keep it up and I’m taking you back to bed” he said, getting up from his chair and crossing over to where she stood in front of the sink. He reached around her and deposited his dishes. “But one of us does have to work and I have some things that need to get done today.” Placing his hands on her buttocks, he lifted her up like she weighed nothing, nuzzled his face in her neck and planted a fiery trail of kisses across the top of each breast.
Before she could react he dropped her back to the floor, turned and headed
for the door. When he got to the hall he turned to her and said “I would consider it an honor to support you. I said I love you and I meant it, forever.”
He disappeared out the door leaving her breathless once again. He was a man of few words but the few words he chose were amazing. Amazing because his feelings were so obviously backing up his words, amazing because of the seriousness with which he delivered them, and amazing because of the impact it had on her. Why is it that with each new discovery of him she found only doubt and suspicion, but his devotion to her remained rock solid through each day and each revelation?
With dishes done she showered and dressed. While in Hanlon she would pick up some groceries, and stop in to the Kramer’s so that Will could have his promised visit with Max. Summer vacation had officially started in Alaska which meant that Will would be home to watch Max while she ran her errands. Lastly, she would pop in to Hawley’s Hardware to say hello to Bill. With Max loaded in the back of the Jeep she set off for town.
The forty-five minute drive left time for her mind to wander. Kelly should be spending the time developing her characters and working on the next chapters of her book, but instead her brain chose to focus only on thoughts of Stephen. It seems that when her life with Stephen began, the lives of fictional characters stopped. What she used to only be able to write about, she now was living first hand.
Stephen, Stanford graduate, engineer by trade, earning his way in Alaska as a welder. Stephen, the first man who had ever left her breathless with desire; the first man who had created within her waves of insatiable need. The thought of being away from him for even a few hours was almost unbearable. But no matter how much she cared for him she couldn’t let go of the many mysteries that he presented her with.
Kelly pulled into the Kramer’s driveway, glancing over to find that all looked well and tidy with her own home. Will had been playing out back and came running when he recognized Kelly’s Jeep. Kelly barely got the back door opened in time for Max to jump out and tackle Will to the ground, covering him with licks. “Max! I’ve missed you too!” Will giggled. “Wait till you see what I got, Ms. Sherman!” Will climbed to his feet and both he and Max disappeared around the back of the house. Kelly followed with a good idea of what she was to find out back.
Her suspicion had been right. A small bundle of black fur that was clumsily bouncing around the back yard turned out to be a puppy. “I got a puppy of my own, he’s a black lab.” Will beamed “now Max will have a playmate when he comes to visit.” Max sniffed at this new fur ball, deciding it was harmless enough but too small to be of much interest to him yet.
Kelly, laughing at Max’s reaction to the new annoyance, said “Hey Will, would it be ok if I left Max here for a bit while I run some errands?”
“Sure, leave him as long as you like, we’re not going anywhere and they can get to know each other.” Kelly said thanks and climbed back into the Jeep.
She headed first for the post office. She found the expected manila envelope in her PO Box, along with a letter from her parents, some assorted junk mail, solicitations, and a small white envelope with her house address in the upper left corner. She opened the last one first to find a note from Mr. Locke along with his check for the three months of rent that they had agreed to.
In her haste to get back to Stephen’s she had never asked Mr. Locke for a deposit. It’s a good thing for her that he was an honorable man. Along with the check was a short note penned by hand letting her know that all was well with the house, he was very happy with it, and that there was a good chance he might want to extend the rental agreement another three months. He would let her know when the time got closer.
Kelly glanced again at the envelope written in her mother’s distinctive script and decided to wait until she got home to open it. Noting that the address on the front center, her old address, had been crossed out and her PO Box number scribbled over it in Alice’s handwriting gave her a twinge of guilt. Kelly still hadn’t told her parents of the change in her residence.
She didn’t like to hide things from them, and she certainly was old enough to make her own decisions, but she wasn’t looking forward to the inquisition that was sure to follow. They were her parents after all so it would be natural for them to wonder why she had moved in with a man whom they had never heard about. They would want to know how long she had known him and they would no doubt be full of questions about Stephen the man, for which Kelly may not have answers. No, she would wait a while longer before sharing that bit of news.
Kelly closed her PO Box and headed across the street to the bank where she deposited the check from Mr. Locke. She asked the teller, Trudy, if it would be possible to get something notarized. Trudy showed her to a small table and informed her that the bank manager would be able to help her and would be back shortly. While Kelly waited she opened the envelope from her agent and reviewed the new contract.
The new dates would not be unreasonable if she could just find the motivation to get started. Unfortunately, motivation or not, these new dates were not flexible. She would have to meet them or suffer the consequences and despite Stephen’s offer, she did not wish to be dependent upon anyone but herself, ever. As much as she knew that she loved him, and couldn’t imagine ever living a life without him in it, she was still a realist. Having her own source of income was something she would not compromise on for anyone, even Stephen. So write she would come hell or high water.
“Hello Kelly, to what do we owe the honor of your visit today?” Mr. Kendal, the bank manager and a licensed notary, came up behind her. His approach had been quiet while she was deep in thought so when he spoke she was visibly startled.
“I’m so sorry Kelly, obviously I startled you. And to think that my wife is always telling me that I’m too loud! What can we do for you today?”
“That’s ok Don, it wasn’t your fault. I must have been lost in deep thought. Thank you for making time for me. I have a revised contract that I need to have my signature notarized on. Would that be something you could do for me today?”
“No problem. I’ll go get me stamp and be right back.”
With her banking business complete Kelly thanked them and headed back over to the post office. She needed to have Alice send it back as soon as possible. The only route for mail coming in or out of Hanlon was by air so every day, every Spirit Air flight left with a tan canvas bag in the back marked USPS.
The post mistress prepared Kelly’s package. “So Kelly, how have you been? We haven’t seen you around here much lately. Oh, that’s right you moved out of town. Are you enjoying your time in the wilderness?”
“Yes, Alice, it’s very nice outside of town; very peaceful and conducive to writing.”
“Now you’re out on Old Henry Road, right? The Long property?” Alice inquired.
Kelly hesitated. She had the feeling that Alice already knew the answer to her inquiry but was just being nosey. Kelly politely answered “Yes, it’s about thirty miles outside of Hanlon.”
“Oh, I mean Stephen Long’s property; obviously not Marv’s!” She giggled slyly.
“Do you know Marv?”
“Of course, I know everyone in these parts if they’ve ever sent or received mail.” Alice winked at Kelly with her reply. “Marv Long is also a good friend. We often meet for lunch or coffee when he’s in town.”
Kelly said nothing.
“Oh, but you probably haven’t met Marv yet, have you? Seeing as how they don’t get along you know, Stephen and Marv that is.” Alice continued. “It had something to do with family business back in Oregon involving Stephen’s father but I don’t pry into other people’s business so I don’t really know all of the details.” Despite the fact that Alice was known to be Hanlon’s main busybody, she delivered her comments as if they were part of her role as a government official.
Kelly should have changed the subject, or kept her mouth shut, but something in Alice’s tone tickled a need in her to defend Stephen. She couldn’t help herself when sh
e responded “Well, Stephen believes that Marv was responsible for his father’s death. That’s enough to cause a rift in any family.”
“Marv? Oh nonsense. He’s such a gentle soul; he couldn’t hurt a fly. No, it was Stephen who was wanted for questioning, for both his father’s death and that Amanda girl. That Stephen has a lot of skeletons in his closet the way I hear it. You best be watching out for yourself.”
When Kelly didn’t immediately reply Alice quickly added “but of course it’s none of my business so I stay out of it.”
With her contract packaged and paid for, Kelly thanked Alice for her assistance. It would be best for her to leave now before anymore gossip was exchanged. “Alice, I’d appreciate it greatly if this package could go out this afternoon or first thing tomorrow. Thank you and have a good day.”
Now that her business in town was completed she had a moment to stop in at Hawley’s Hardware to say hello to a good friend. The same unknown young man was busy at the counter cashing out a customer. Kelly headed directly back to Bill’s office finding him there as usual with his head buried in his accounting books. She tapped softly on his door and had entered the room before he’d had a chance to look up. His smile was wide when he saw her as he stood to welcome her in.
“Kelly girl, what a wonderful surprise, how are you?”
“I’m well Bill, just in town to get caught up on some banking and mail. With the move and all I’ve fallen a bit behind with my latest book so I needed to get some revised dates back to my agent in Seattle. How have you been?”
“No complaints here.” Bill winked at her “I can presume things are going well with you and your new ‘friend’ then?”
Kelly blushed a bit “Bill, you can stop with the teasing, I’m well aware that my secret is no more a secret.”
He chuckled and said “So how is Stephen?”
Convictions: Kelly and Stephen Page 8
