by Tina Martin
“Odd that you call this our spot when I’m sure all kinds of women have been here to taint it.”
Kenton turned to look at her. He wasn’t smiling. Wasn’t the least bit amused by her comment. He just looked at her with a serious expression on his face. There was something about how the moonlight struck her features – those beautiful cheekbones and big black eyes that seemed to twinkle in the light – that had him entranced.
“No comment, huh?”
“I have a comment, but you wouldn’t believe me if I said what I had to say.”
She shrugged. “It really doesn’t matter now, does it?”
He guessed not since she was engaged. What use was there holding anything back at this point? “I was going to say that I’ve never brought another woman out here, but I’m sure you don’t believe that.”
“I don’t. Besides, it doesn’t matter. Why did you ask me here tonight?”
“Because I would like to know something.”
“Then spit it out,” she told him, then glanced at her watch.
He pat the boulder he was sitting on, encouraging her to sit next to him. Reluctantly, she walked over and took a seat next to him.
At first, Kenton didn’t say anything. He just sat there, reacquainting himself with the feeling of being this close to her again in this setting. He looked at her. In his mind, he could still see Evan whispering in her ear. Could see her smiling. Could feel envy all the way down to his bones. “Do you love him?”
Lauren looked puzzled. “Jeez, Kenton…what makes you think you can ask me something like that?”
“Like you said, it really doesn’t matter what we discuss now, does it?” he asked, shifting his body in her direction so he didn’t have to turn his head to look at her anymore. He was looking at her. Studying her for truth. Reading her body language. “So, do you love him?”
“Yes. I love him. Now, it’s my turn to ask you something.”
“You have my attention,” he said staring at her lips, her nose, entranced by her beauty. He felt a strong urge to softly stroke her face with his fingertips. He glanced at her lips, instantly biting on his lower lip.
“How many women have you dated since me?”
“Why does that matter?”
She shrugged. “Just curious. I keep hearing how, after we broke up, you stopped dating.”
“That’s true.”
She chuckled. “You’re funny.”
His eyes were sharp when he looked at her. Why was she laughing like something was funny when he was dead serious? “It’s the truth, Lauren. I didn’t date…just had a few hookups. And for the record, the only reason our relationship ended is because you ended it.”
“You can’t put all the blame on me,” she told him, shaking her head. “I wanted things in life you didn’t care for. I thought you wanted them, too. You strung me along and made me believe you did, but—”
“I never told you I wanted to get married, Lauren.”
“And you never told me you didn’t want marriage either, Kenton. Had I known, I would’ve never wasted my time on you.”
“Wasted your time...wow…I see you’re no longer into mincing words.”
“Now, that we’re over and done with, there’s no use.”
“There’s no use in being harsh and bitter either,” he countered.
“I’m not bitter,” she said ironically enough with bitterness in her voice.
“I can’t tell.”
Lauren sighed, then breathed in the crisp mountain night air, letting the trickles of water calm and relax her.
Kenton continued, “And from my point of view, our relationship wasn’t a waste of time. We would still be together, right now, if you hadn’t forced my hand, Lauren.”
“Is that why you invited me here tonight, Kenton? To play the blame game when it came to our failed relationship because, if so, I’m not interested. I’ve moved on.”
“If you’ve moved on, you wouldn’t have come here. You knew we’d be alone. Knew this was our spot. Knew the good times we had here. Yet, you’re right here, again. Alone with me.”
“You asked me to come here.”
“Yes. I asked you. I didn’t force you. You came here of your own free will.”
“Unbelievable,” Lauren hissed. “What was this? Some kind of test?”
“No,” Kenton said. “I wanted to find out from you if you really loved Evan.”
“Why do you care?”
Kenton decided to be honest. At times, he could be a jerk. He knew that about himself, but right now, in this moment, he told her what was on his mind. What was in his heart. “You deserve to be happy. Our relationship was good, although it didn’t end well and you deserve more than what I was able to give you, Lauren. I would hate to see you end up with someone who doesn’t appreciate you for the woman you are.”
Lauren turned to look at him. “You hate for me to end up with someone like you.”
He grimaced. Her words were piercing. Unedited. She had a right to be angry but two years had passed and he was under the impression that her anger had subsided with the passing of time. Boy was he wrong. “You said it yourself, Lauren—you wasted your time with me. I know this guy, Evan, is giving you what you want, complete with an extravagant ring and everything your heart desires, but if there’s no real passion, how do you suppose you’ll be happy with him in the long run? Just because he’s willing to marry you won’t make you happy, Lauren.”
“Willing to marry me…you say that like I’m some pitiful loser who took the first man that came along. I love Evan,” she said standing. “And I shouldn’t have come here. I’m going home.”
“Wait.” He stood up and walked behind her. “That’s not all I wanted to say,” he said, grabbing her hand, stopping her in her tracks. The moment she turned around to protest, he lowered his mouth and latched on to her lips. He could feel her resistance at first – it was as strong as his need to kiss her – but as their lips connected interchangeably, she slowly lowered her defenses and tightened her arms around him, easing into remembrance. Into the familiarity of their mouths being locked together like this again. Her heart pounded in her chest as she hungrily kissed the man she used to love. By the way she kissed him, you would think she still did.
Kenton was relentless, holding her head in his tight grip as he aimed for her lips. Then he slowly lowered his arms around her waist. He was intent on kissing her into remembering what they once had. The passion they’d shared. What he’d missed so much. The way their mouths sparked a fire when they touched. The way their bodies felt contoured together so perfectly. He held on to her like he was afraid he’d lose her again – as if she was still his and this was the last ditch effort to get her to stay. But it was more than that. He missed this woman. He knew he’d messed up. He’d let a good woman go and now she was being taken away, permanently, by some man that she was settling for, in his opinion. She deserved more than that.
She pulled away from him with a look of shock and shame on her face. She said she loved Evan, yet she was kissing Kenton. Where was the logic in that? “I’m sorry,” she said. “I have to go.”
“Lauren, wait.”
Ignoring him, she simply walked away, sat in her car with a pounding, confused heart. How could she lose her mind this way? What was she doing kissing Kenton? She was engaged to a wonderful man. Was Evan not enough? How would she feel if she found out Evan was up in a forest, kissing some woman under the light of the moon by a romantic waterfall? She started the car and began the drive back to her hotel with all these thoughts on her mind. She’d crossed the line with Kenton tonight. She couldn’t let it happen again.
Chapter 11
Since Jessalyn’s grand opening was Saturday, family dinner was moved to Sunday at Jessalyn and Spencer’s place instead of the usual spot – Remington’s house. It may as well had been an extension to the grand opening celebration yesterday because Jessalyn was still elated about opening her shop, and those first-day sales were over h
er projections. Business was already starting out good.
Kenton took a bite of chicken. Jessalyn must’ve diverted all of that good energy into the meal she’d prepared because the food was off the charts. How had he not known his sister could cook so well?
After Jessalyn brought in a bowl of macaroni salad and placed it on the table, she sat down. “I had so much fun yesterday. It’s always nice to have the support of family, especially my big-headed, oldest brother.”
Remington smirked. “You’re welcome, Jess. Just keep up the good work.”
Jessalyn smiled. “I intend to.”
“So, what’s new in Lennoxville?” Giovanni asked.
Joelle giggled at her husband.
“Nothing much,” Remington said. “I don’t want to discuss work, but we have two more hotels up for extensive renovations soon. I’ll be meeting with Drake tomorrow to discuss that.”
“Oh, and Kenton sent me the preliminary designs for my new campaign,” Jessalyn said. “I love the idea of putting those discount coupons on the desks inside of the hotel rooms.”
“And cabins,” Kenton said. “We’ll have to inform the staff to do this going forward.”
“I’ll contact all the managers and make it happen,” Giovanni said. “When will the cards be delivered, Jess?”
Jessalyn shrugged and looked at Kenton.
“It shouldn’t take no more than a week from the printer,” Kenton answered. “Of course we would order physical proofs before the first print run.”
Giovanni nodded, instinctively rubbing Joelle’s neck. “That’ll give me plenty of time to confer with the managers.”
They ate more, carrying on small, individual conversation between themselves when Davina said, “Hey, it was pretty cool that Lauren came by yesterday.”
Kenton grimaced. He knew someone would bring up Lauren’s name. He just didn’t know who. Or when.
“Yeah,” Jessalyn said. “I talked to her for a minute. I’m glad she came through. I got to meet Evan, too.”
“Me, too,” Davina said. “He’s cute. I was like, go ‘head on, Lauren.”
The women chuckled.
Remington glanced up at Kenton. He looked to be oblivious to their conversation, but he was sitting at the table like everyone else. He heard what his sisters were saying about Evan.
“Okay, I must admit…it was odd to see Lauren with another man,” Giovanni said. “I was used to seeing her with Kenton.”
Joelle elbowed him. Sometimes, Giovanni said the first thing that came to his mind without thinking about how his words might affect people. Kenton didn’t look too thrilled about his ex being the topic of conversation over family dinner. Who would be excited to talk about an ex, especially if things had ended on not so good terms? She didn’t know how it had ended with Kenton and Lauren, but judging by the look on Kenton’s face, she knew she didn’t need specific details to know he wasn’t okay with Lauren being discussed right now.
“You guys never cease to amaze me,” Kenton said. “Of all the things we could discuss right now, you choose to bring up my ex.” He wiped his mouth and said, “Okay, let’s get it all out there so we don’t have to discuss it, or her, again.”
“Oh, no,” Emory said softly.
“Kenton, you really don’t have to do this, man,” Remington told him.
“Obviously, I do, because everybody has something to say about it.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Joelle mumbled, but she was sure Kenton didn’t hear her.
“So, shoot,” Kenton said. “Give me your questions, or should I ask them for you? Yeah. That’s a good idea. Let me do that. Why did you two break up? Did you not know she was a catch? How could you let a woman like Lauren Chandler slip away? Am I on the right track?” Kenton asked his family.
Silence fell in the dining room. Now, nobody had anything to say or ask, even though the questions he’d posed were burning questions that were on everyone’s minds.
Spencer cleared his throat. “Y’all eat up. I baked a coconut cake,” he said in an attempt to change the subject.
“Then we better eat up. That way, we’ll be too full to eat any of it,” Davina joked. “I ain’t never had no man’s coconut cake, especially not yours, Spencer.”
Giovanni grinned. “Yeah, he get’s married and all of a sudden, he’s a baker now.”
“I knew how to bake already…just never had time for it. Plus, what can I say…this woman inspires me,” he said, leaving a kiss on Jessalyn’s cheek.
Jessalyn smiled, then turned her attention back to Kenton. He’d stood up and walked away from the table without saying a word else to anyone.
Remington shook his head as Kenton walked away from the table. “I’ll go talk to him,” he told the family. “Just, for future reference, let’s not discuss Lauren. Obviously, it’s a sore spot for him.”
* * *
Kenton fumed as he stepped outside. He was peeved, but mostly at himself because he was the fool. He’d had Lauren all to himself and yet, didn’t understand her value. Her worth. Even with the passing of two years, he hadn’t seen it enough to reach out to her. It was so much easier to blame her for their split than to admit his own insecurities.
“Leaving so soon,” Remington said, catching up to Kenton as he stood next to his car.
“Yeah. I’m not much in a conversational mood right now. Besides, all everybody wants to talk about is Lauren. Lauren, this. Lauren, that. Not in the mood, man.”
“You know that’s how the family does. You guys were after me when I was going through my ordeal with Emory, remember, but everything eventually worked out with us.”
“This is different, Rem. You and Emmie were friends for a long time and you weren’t confused about how you felt for her.”
Remington’s brows raised. “I wasn’t because I seem to recall being all over the place back then. Maybe I did a good job of not letting it show. As men, we’re good at that, you know.”
Kenton didn’t respond.
“Can I tell you what I think?”
Kenton sighed heavily. “Sure. Why not?”
“I think you have some of the same fears and reservations I had about falling in love. We never had much of an example in that area. And, it’s nerve-racking to give your heart to someone, especially when you’re used to being in control. But, now, you see firsthand what happens when you don’t release those fears. The woman you love ends up loving someone else.”
He didn’t dispute Remington’s use of ‘love’ this time. “Lauren doesn’t love him—at least not the way she should.”
“How do you know that?”
“I was with her last night.”
“What do you mean you were with her?”
“I told her to meet up with me so we could talk. She agreed. We talked…argued…whatever you want to call it, and we kissed. She doesn’t love him. I could feel it when she kissed me. If you were really in love with someone why would you be kissing someone else?”
“Maybe old feelings resurfaced.”
“Or feelings that are not so old. Feelings that have laid dormant.” Kenton crossed his arms and leaned against his car. “There’s something else, Rem, and don’t let anyone else know about this, but when I showed Lauren’s father around The Mountain Chateau, he told me that Evan was planning a surprise wedding on Saturday.”
“Wedding? I thought this was an engagement party.”
“It’s that, too. The engagement party is supposed to be on Friday. Saturday, Evan’s surprising her with the wedding and Sunday, they’re supposed to have a day-long reception.”
“Dang.”
“Lauren has no idea she’s getting married and Saturday, and I don’t feel it’s my place to tell her. I do, however, feel I should let her know that I—I do still have feelings for her. The problem is, I’m not ready to get married, man. I know that about myself. So, how am I supposed to convince her to give us another try when she has a man willing to marry her, even though she doesn’t feel f
or him the way she feels about me?”
“That’s something you’ll have to figure out, brother. What I will say is, if you love Lauren, then you should be willing and ready to do whatever’s necessary to get her back. And I mean whatever’s necessary. Do you love her?”
“I do. We have a history together, no matter how messed up it was toward the end.”
“Then go after her. Hard.”
“I don’t want to interfere with her marriage. I don’t want to be the reason she walks away from Evan. If she walks away from him, it needs to be because she wants to, not because I’ve convinced her to.”
“Then you have your work cut out for you, man.”
Chapter 12
Lauren yawned and stretched. “It’s way too early,” she said to her mother as they walked into the lobby of The Mountain Chateau.
“Child, please. You’re a manager at one of the largest computer companies in the world. You should be accustomed to getting up this early.”
Lauren stretched her arms up in the air and listened to her joints pop. “Maybe it’s because I haven’t had breakfast. Or coffee. Oh, Lord, please bless me with a cup of coffee.”
Overhearing their conversation, the receptionist at guest services giggled. “Ma’am, we do have complimentary coffee and breakfast pastries right over there,” she said, pointing towards the kitchen area.
“Thank you,” Lauren said.
“You’re welcome.”
She headed there with her mother. “We have a few minutes before Jarrod arrives.”
