by Wendi Hulsey
I answer proudly, “Yep, I start the day after you two leave.”
“We will be back about four-thirty to pick you up if that is okay with you. It’s about a fifteen-minute ride to my parents’ house, but they won’t care if we’re a little early,” Cameron explains.
Chapter Fourteen
We go back to Cameron’s place and I help him do a little light cleaning. We dust, vacuum, do the dishes, and strip the bed to wash the linens. I have to admit, I feel right at home when I’m with him doing household chores, maybe we would be compatible living together, and he’s definitely neater than his sister is. We have a little time before picking up my parents, so I suggest we stop at Publix to pick up dessert for after dinner. I saw this amazing chocolate cake there the other day and I’m hoping to get one.
“Why don’t you just pull up to the entrance and I will hop out and go get the cake. The bakery is right in front, it should only take me a couple minutes.”
“Okay with me! I hate grocery stores with all those old farts in my way walking around at a snail’s pace.”
“Yeah well someday you will be one of those old farts, so careful what you say.” I smack him in the arm as I get out of the car.
The grocery store is quite busy, I forgot today was Saturday. I make my way to the bakery and do a little happy dance as I see the cake I was hoping for in the case. The girl behind the counter boxes it up and gives me a cake cutter. I hit the express lane and I’m out of the store in less than five minutes. Cameron pulls back up to the entrance to pick me up. His eyes about pop out of his head when he sees the cake I have.
“Geez, you like chocolate a bit?” He jokes.
“Yep, and I sure hope everybody else does too. It would be a shame to have to eat all this cake myself,” I say smiling.
“I’ll help you work it off.” He smiles and squeezes my knee.
I lean over to plant a kiss on his cheek, “Umm, I bet.”
As we pull into the turnaround in front of the hotel, I see my mom come out with a bounce in her step. She looks very pleased with my hotel choice. She opens the back door and jumps in, while I get out of the passenger side and slide in back with my mom. Dad takes over the passenger seat from me. I lean over, give mom a big hug, and ask how she likes the hotel.
“Oh my God Kylie, this hotel is just fabulous. I even booked a massage for myself tomorrow morning. Then after my massage, your dad and I are going to go down on the beach for a swim. Maybe at some point during the day, you and Cameron could join us. Later that night, we are going to go to Bubba Gump’s for dinner. The following day we are going to go to Disney World. We’re not sure what we are going to do on Tuesday. I would like to get some shopping in at some point too.” Mom rambles on as fast as she can get the words out of her mouth.
“That’s a terrific plan, but on your last night, I would love to take you two out to eat. Therefore, you will have to let me know what kind of food you want to eat. Anything except Chinese, Mr. Fussy up there doesn’t eat Chinese food,” I explain, smiling to Cameron in the rear view mirror.
He’s having a conversation with my dad and not paying attention to our conversation, “What did you say about me?” He asks.
“Nothing, don’t worry about it, just women talk back here.” I assure him.
“Yeah, that’s what I am worried about.” He states, causing him and my dad to laugh.
We start to slow down and I realize we are in a very upscale neighborhood; the houses in this area are huge. I don’t know why I never bothered to drive in this direction; it’s still on the same road in which we live, just farther south. Cameron slows down and puts on his blinker to turn into a driveway of a house I would consider a mansion.
“Holy shit Cameron, is this where you grew up? This house is massive,” I exclaim, completely impressed.
“Actually my mom and dad moved us here a few years after we came down. The first house they bought through a real estate company by looking at pictures online. When we actually got down here the house wasn’t what was depicted in the online photos. My dad began searching for a new house and found this one as a foreclosure; he didn’t want to pass it up at the listed price. He loved the fact that it was right on the water.”
“It’s a beautiful house Cameron. Is this a two story?” My mom asks.
“It’s actually two and a half floors, you will see once we go out on the patio. The lower level is underground and can only be seen from the back, the house is built into a hill. The lower level just has a family room, laundry area, and my dad’s game room,” he explains.
We park in a semi-circular driveway. Courtney and Blake must already be here, her car is parked directly in front of us. We get out of the car and follow Cameron into the front foyer of the house. I can see clear through the house and out a large set of glass windows with a beautiful view of the beach and ocean. To our left is a casual living room with a grand marble staircase going up to the next level. Off to the right is a formal dining room and further into the house is the kitchen. The kitchen has the windows from floor to ceiling that I was seeing from the entryway. I’m to assume the upper floor is bedrooms.
“Mom, Dad, we’re here.” Cameron shouts.
“We’re out back on the patio,” I hear his mom yell.
Cameron takes us into the kitchen and down six stairs; you can turn and go down more stairs to the lower level or out the door to the patio.
“Mr. and Mrs. Conner, it’s so good to see you both again,” I grin, while smothering Mrs. Conner with a hug.
Courtney is just as excited to see my parents and runs to them hooking them both around the neck and pulling them into a three-way hug. Our moms exchange hugs and our dads shake hands. Blake stands in the background, unsociable as usual. I forget I’m holding the cake and ask if it’s all right to put in the refrigerator. “No need to go inside dear, we have a refrigerator out here too,” Cameron’s mom tells me.
I turn around and I’m in awe of the patio, it’s more like an outdoor kitchen. There’s a refrigerator, cabinets, counter top, and a built in grill with burners. She also has several areas of seating; a traditional patio set that seats six and a lounge area with an outside wicker loveseat and two chairs around a fire pit. The yard itself is not that large, but has a well-maintained lawn and the outer edges of the yard have rows of palm trees planted on both sides. There’s a staircase at the far end of the yard leading down onto the beach.
“Mr. and Mrs. Conner, you have a lovely home. I could only dream of living in a house like this when I buy a home,” I admit, still in awe.
“Why thank you Kylie, but we’re all adults now and I would prefer if you called us Dean and Sarah like everyone else does. If my boy here does well on the track and wins some races, maybe he can buy you the house of your dreams when you two get married.” His mom beams with excitement.
Holy smokes! Why is marriage coming up so much? Cameron talking about diamonds, his mom talking about marriage, even Courtney has brought it up a time or two. “I certainly hope he does well on the track, but marriage and a house isn’t something we have discussed. It may be a little early in the relationship for that conversation,” I try to explain.
His mom looks slightly disappointed, “I just assumed it would happen rather quickly, Cameron has loved you forever. I hope he doesn’t drag his feet and lose a good thing.” She smiles and squeezes my hand.
“Speaking of races, my first race is here in Daytona on Saturday and I happen to have eight free tickets I can give away. I was wondering if anyone is interested in seeing me in my first NASCAR race. They just happen to be mid-field seats, where you can see the pit area and the pre-race show.” He asks, knowing damn well we all want to be there.
Everyone starts talking excitedly about going to the race. I look over at my dad, and he has the broadest smile I have ever seen. This is going to make his trip to Florida complete and Cameron just scored brownie points with my dad, not that he needed them. I’m excited that Cameron’s dream is c
oming true, but I would be lying if I said I was thrilled about going to this race. I’m going to be a nervous wreck watching him on Saturday. I think he senses my anxiety because he comes over to me and whispers in my ear. “What’s the matter? I thought you would be happy to come to the races, I know you love racing.”
“I do, but this is so different. Before I could watch the race and enjoy it, now I will be worried that something is going to happen to you,” I whisper back, with tears filling my eyes.
“Babe, nothing is going to happen to me. I told you as long as I have you waiting for me that is incentive enough to get me through the race. Besides, I have a lovely new picture mounted on my dash. I intend to win just so your fantasy can come true,” He declares with that devilish smirk.
“Umm, about that picture, I’m not sure I am comfortable with the guys of your pit crew seeing it.”
“If you are uncomfortable, I can take it down. However, if they see it they will know what a lucky son of a bitch I am.”
“No, if it makes you happy, I’m okay with it.”
He pulls me to his chest and wraps his arms around me, buries his face in my neck. I’m surrounded by his warmth and wonderful scent; my worries start to subside a little. I look up in his warm eyes and lean in for a kiss. I hear his dad clear his throat before saying, “I hate to interrupt, but I would appreciate a hand with the grill. We have a lot of food to get cooked.”
“No problem, Dad. Just tell me what you want me to cook. I will send her off to help the women in the kitchen.” Cameron playfully swats my ass to get me moving.
I was so caught up in the moment with Cameron; I hadn’t realized all the women went in the house. I walk inside the house and up the stairs to the kitchen. The women are removing huge platters of meat from the refrigerator; there are hamburgers, hotdogs, Italian sausage, and ribs. Courtney and I each grab a platter and take them outside. Cameron and his dad are at the grill while Blake has walked to the edge of the property looking down at the beach. “Courtney, how come Blake isn’t very talkative?”
“He said he had a rough childhood and never was allowed to speak much. His parents said kids were to be seen, not heard. I guess he just became somewhat unsocial from his upbringing,” she explains.
We deliver the platters to the men and go back inside to help our moms get the other dishes outside. When we walk back in the house my eyes about bulge out of my head at the amount of food, there are only eight people here. “Wow, Mrs. Conner I mean Sarah, there’s enough food to feed an army,” I say amazed.
“Have you seen Cameron eat? Plus, we have Dean, Jim, and Blake too. Blake looks like he could put away quite a bit of food.” She smiles at Courtney, “What the eight of us don’t eat I will take to a couple of our elderly neighbors. Some of them have trouble getting to the grocery store or cooking.”
“Aww, that’s sweet of you. Nurses are always thinking of the well-being of others. I hope to have as much compassion for people as you do. I hope to start the nursing program next semester.”
“You would make a wonderful nurse. It’s a rewarding career and you never have to worry about work, there’s always a need for good nurses. I wish my daughter would have gone into nursing but the sight of blood gets her squeamish, so she followed her daddy’s footsteps. Cameron is my thrill seeker; he doesn’t take after either one of us.”
“I just pray your thrill seeker has a safe career. I don’t know what I would do if anything happens to him.”
“Let’s get all this food outside before the men get done cooking the meat. I have dishes and silverware outside in the cabinets and all the condiments are out there as well.”
We make several trips from the kitchen to the outside patio carrying potato salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, a vegetable tray, and a relish tray. Mrs. Conner is definitely used to throwing parties, she has thought of everything.
By the time we are done setting everything up, Cameron and Mr. Conner are putting the meat on clean platters and bringing them to the table. Everything smells wonderful and the weather is perfect. I feel truly blessed, surrounded by so many people that care and love me. I lean towards Cameron and whisper, “I want to throw parties like this someday. Wouldn’t it be great to have friends and family over to our house?” The words come out of my mouth before realizing my mistake.
He gives me his gorgeous smile, “I would love to entertain with you in our own home, except it would be a little different. I would want a few kids running around the yard screaming and playing. What about you, Kylie? You want to have a couple of babies with me? It sure would be fun trying,” he teases.
“Well I think both Cassandra and I would be thrilled to be a grandmother anytime you kids are ready to give us some grandchildren.” Mrs. Conner beams with excitement.
I turn twenty shades of red not realizing that our discussion was overheard. “I think I would prefer to be married before having the discussion of baby making.”
“Well, I think Sarah and I would be just as happy planning a wedding too.” My mom chips in her two cents.
“Oh for Christ sakes, would you two stop badgering the kids about weddings and babies. What is it with women?” Mr. Conner comes to my defense giving me a wink.
The rest of the night is casual talk. What my mom and dad plan on doing while they are here, and more discussion about the race on Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Conner invite my parents out for a day on their boat. My dad is thrilled at the idea of fishing for large ocean fish, while mom is excited to go out on the ocean waters and catch some sun. Mrs. Conner promises to bring a couple bottles of wine for them to pass the time while their husbands fish.
We eat dessert and Mr. Conner builds a fire in the fire pit. The night is cool with the ocean breeze blowing through the back yard. Courtney is snuggled on Blake’s lap on the loveseat so Cameron takes a chair and I sit on his lap. It’s not long before I feel something hard against me. I wiggle my ass on his lap a little and he looks at me with lust. He grabs both sides of my face with his big hands and pulls my mouth to his in a sensual kiss. “Be careful what you start here, or I will have to drag you to my old room and start making those babies with you.” He whispers in my ear, his hot breath sending a message right between my thighs.
“I’m glad our parents are sitting at the other table otherwise your mom might show us the way to your old room. They both seem a little eager to have grandchildren,” I mention.
Around ten o’clock we decide to call it a night. My parents and I thank the Conner’s for a wonderful dinner and evening. They assure us that we are welcome to come back anytime we want. Mrs. Conner pulls me into a hug and gives me a little peck on my cheek. I ask Courtney if it’s okay to stop by her place to show my parents my room. She frowns at me and says, “Kylie, of course you can, you have to stop referring to it as my place, you live there now too. We are going to stay a little longer, I’m going to help my mom package some food up for the neighbors, and then we will be home.”
We say another round of goodbyes before making our way to the car. On our way back to the condo, we point out a couple of nice places for my parents to eat at while they’re here. My dad seems impressed that we live in a high-rise condominium, but wonders how anyone can live without a yard and grass. Cameron points out that if he lived down here in the humidity, he would be thankful not to have a yard to mow.
We take the elevator upstairs and I point out that Cameron’s place is right across the hall. I enter Courtney’s condo and I realize I ran across the hall and into Cameron’s arms last night so my bed will be unmade. I blush a little at the thought of my mom questioning me, because she knows I always make my bed right after taking a shower. We walk down the hall towards my door when I feel the need to explain.
“I think I forgot to make my bed this morning. I was in a rush to get to the airport and so excited that as soon as I was done with my shower, I went across the hall to wake Cameron up.”
“That’s okay honey. We just want to see where you are living,”
Mom says.
I feel Cameron grab the back of my shirt and I lean back, “You are going straight to hell for lying to your mom like that,” he chuckles.
I turn around and smack him right before opening my door and screaming. Cameron grabs me when he sees my room and pushes past me checking the room, closet, and bathroom to make sure nobody is still there. My room is destroyed; all my clothes are emptied from my dresser and closet and scattered all over the room. The drawers to the vanity in my bathroom have been pulled out and the contents dumped on the floor. Cameron tries to shut my bathroom door hiding something but I push him out of the way.
When I look at my mirror, my hand goes to my mouth and my body starts to shake uncontrollably. Cameron is right at my side and grabs me before my knees give out. He holds me against him supporting me with his body as I stare at the mirror. Someone has written on the mirror with my lipstick, “I TOLD YOU NEVER TO LEAVE ME. I WILL GET YOU KYLIE.”
It’s then that my dad pulls out his cell phone and dials 911 but he hands the phone to Cameron when he doesn’t know the address to give the dispatcher. Cameron gives them the address and floor number, they tell him someone will be here in five minutes. My mom takes me out of my room and we sit on the couch together. She comforts me while I cry in her arms. “Now do you see why I think Dylan has come after me? I know you said you saw him at Wal-Mart the night I got the phone call, but you just saw my room. Who else would know or do that?” I cry out hysterically.
“I have to admit it definitely points to Dylan. We will give the police his name, maybe they can check with the Wisconsin police to find out if he’s home.” Mom tries to console me.
