Kissing Kendall

by Jennifer Shirk

  Lindsey smiled then looked at Brad. “Hi,” she said brightly to him, lifting her hand in a short wave.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Kendall said, shaking her head. “I don’t know where my manners are. Lindsey, this is Brad. He’s my…” Her smile faded as her brows drew together. “My…”

  “Boyfriend,” Brad inserted. He shot Kendall a pointed look, daring her to deny it. He wondered what had gotten into her, but Kendall looked so flustered that he’d let that little slipup slide for now. Taking it slow was one thing, but he didn’t want to play their relationship down or try to hide it from others. As far as he was concerned they were playing for keeps. And the sooner Kendall got used to that idea, the better.

  “Cool,” the girl said. She pointed to the bag Brad held in his hand. “Are you guys going to take a lunch break now? Because I can handle everything here.”

  Kendall glanced around the bakery then bit her lip. “Are you sure? We’ll be in the back, so just holler if you need anything.”

  “No problem.” She gazed at Brad one last time, looking a little starstruck. “I think it’s really sweet of you to bring Kendall lunch. She never takes a break.”

  “Lindsey,” Kendall admonished.

  Brad chuckled. “Thanks for tattling on her,” he said, giving Lindsey a light fist-bump. “Now I have another reason to stop by and check on her more.”

  “Really?” Lindsey asked with wide eyes. “You’ll be coming in here more often?”

  Brad took Kendall’s hand and raised it to his lips. “As much as the boss will let me.”

  Lindsey let out a dreamy sigh just as a customer came into the bakeshop. Kendall tugged on Brad’s hand, but he wouldn’t let go. “Come on,” she said. “I’m starving.”

  Brad followed her into the back. Kendall immediately swept over a pile of paperwork to make room on her desk and spread out the lunch. “Looks like you have a new fan,” she commented.

  “I’m glad to hear it. It’s about time you started appreciating me for more than my pretty face,” he said, batting his eyelashes.

  She laughed. “Not me, silly. I meant Lindsey.”

  “Oh. Well, that’s nice to hear too, but I’m a one-woman-fan-club kind of guy. As long as that one woman is you.”

  “You mean as long as I’m that woman for now. I’m sure you’ll have other women lined up to be in your fan club when you go off to Virginia in the fall.”

  Brad suddenly lost his appetite. He put down his sandwich and gave her a long look. “No, that’s not what I mean at all. I know we said we’d go slow but, Kendall, we’ve known each other forever. What we have between us is good. It feels right.” He wondered how much more he should convey, then decided to let the chips fall where they may.

  “I love you,” he told her.

  “Oh, well, that’s nothing new,” she said with a confused smile. “I already know you love me.”

  He shook his head. “No. I don’t just love you. I’m in love with you. I probably have been ever since…well, long before you married Jake.”

  “What?”

  “I think I’ve always had strong feelings for you. But you and Jake were my friends and you seemed happy. There was no reason to tell you and make things awkward for us. So I stepped back.” Way back. But even though he had taken himself out of the picture, he had never once forgotten her.

  “I never knew,” she murmured.

  “Nobody did—well, except for Georgie and Walt. And Jake.”

  Her eyes widened. “Jake?”

  “Yeah, I told Jake. I had to be honest with him even though he didn’t want to hear it. And now, I can finally be honest with you. No matter what happens, at least I can say that you knew how I felt.”

  He studied her for a moment. He could judge from her expression that this discussion was upsetting her. “Look, it’s okay. I don’t expect you to say I love you back. At least, not right now,” he said with a grin, hoping to coax a smile from her.

  She did smile back, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Okay, thanks for being…honest.”

  Brad stifled a sigh. He told her he loved her and she thanked him for being honest. Of all the possible scenarios of how his declaration of love would be received, never in his wildest fantasies had he counted on that one.

  “And as long as we’re being honest,” she went on, “I want you to know that I’ve really been enjoying our time together, too.” She bit her lip, hesitating. “I’m sorry I can’t give you more than that.”

  He nodded once. “It’s okay. Like I said, no pressure. I’m carrying enough love for the both of us.”

  And he was surprised how at that moment, with everything off his chest and Kendall in his life, it really was enough. For now.

  …

  Come Sunday, Kendall was exhausted—not that in a million years she would ever complain. Weekend business at the bakery had been very good because of the Memorial Day holiday. The whole weekend was sunny and beautiful. Vacationers had come to their beach town in droves, which had meant a huge increase in morning sales, since most tourists wanted to grab something quick and easy for breakfast before heading to the beach.

  Although she had plenty to keep her mind busy, it wasn’t enough to distract her from what Brad had admitted to her. He loves me. And all she did was thank him? Oh God.

  Blood began to pound in her temples. She’d handled it badly. His declaration had thrilled her, but then the same old fears came crashing back and she didn’t know how to respond. Still didn’t know how to respond. She had to deal with it soon.

  One way or another.

  Kendall was about to take a long, hot soak in the tub when Georgie called. Both Brad and Walt were working that night, so Georgie invited her over for some homemade pizza and to see the newly finished nursery.

  “Isn’t it adorable?” Georgie prompted, looking adorable herself in her pink-and-white gingham maternity shirt. Her red hair was pulled up on the sides in a knot on the top of her head, reminding Kendall of Pebbles Flintstone.

  Kendall grinned. She had to appreciate Georgie’s enthusiasm for a room decorated with dancing frogs and rainbow-colored fish. Walt and Georgie couldn’t have picked out a cuter or more neutral design, considering they didn’t know if Georgie was having a boy or girl yet. “I love it,” she told her friend.

  “I do too.” Georgie’s eyes widened and she quickly pressed a hand to her stomach. “Ooh, the baby kicked! The baby must love it too!”

  “Or trying to tell you it’s going to be a soccer player,” she quipped.

  Georgie laughed. “Well, let’s toast my future kicking all-star with some root beer and pizza. I’m starving.”

  The evening had cooled down considerably from the scorching day, so they decided to eat out on the back deck. As Georgie reached for a slice of pizza, she asked Kendall how her business was doing, which was a bit of a surprise topic. Kendall thought for sure Georgie’s first choice of discussion would’ve been Brad and the kiss she’d witnessed between them.

  “Well, so far so good with the bakery,” Kendall answered, giving the table a few raps with her knuckles for luck. “This weekend really sets the tone for the rest of the summer. So right now because of the great turnout for the holiday, I’m optimistic. But the real test will be at the end of summer after all the tourists leave.”

  Georgie waved away her doubting comment. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. I’ve been hearing a lot of my customers at the pharmacy say they’re thrilled that this town finally has a good year-round bakery.”

  “That’s awesome to hear. Which reminds me, do you mind if I come by next week and drop off some coupon flyers? I could leave them by your register for your customers.”

  “Not at all. Come by whenever.”

  “Thanks. You guys have been so supportive. I think that’s the reason everything has been going as well as it has.”

  “Oh?” Georgie’s brows rose as she pursed her lips. “And has everything else in your life been going as well, too?”
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  Kendall cocked her head. “When you say ‘everything else,’ do you mean Brad?”

  Georgie tossed her napkin down on the table. “Of course I mean Brad! Jeez, Kendall, I’ve been sitting here waiting all night for you to mention my brother. You’re dating him now and you haven’t given me one piece of information. Are you happy? Is he happy? Are you holding back on me because he’s my brother and you don’t want to hurt my feelings?”

  Kendall pushed her plate away and settled in for the interrogation. “No, not at all. I guess I just figured there wasn’t much to tell at this point.”

  She knew it was too good to be true for her to think Georgie was giving her some space with regard to her relationship with her brother. Georgie was one of her best friends, but she was also pushy, so the last thing Kendall wanted to do was talk about Brad with her.

  What could she possibly say? Brad was wonderful, one of the best men she’d ever known. She felt a twinge of disloyalty to Jake thinking that, but Brad was just so easy to be with. He was a great listener; they could and would talk about anything. Brad supported her with her business. He was so fiercely protective of her and thoughtful too, always making sure she ate lunch and stopping by her house in the afternoon while she was at work to let her dog out. There was no other place she’d rather be than in his arms. She had planned on enjoying the rest of their time together until he went away to Quantico. But then he had to go and ruin it.

  He had to tell her he was in love with her.

  His words echoed over and over in her head, and they frightened her. She was scared of what he felt for her—but even more scared of what she’d begun to feel for him.

  “Not much to tell?” Georgie didn’t hide the skepticism in her tone. “You’re just as tight-lipped about your relationship as Brad is. I expected more from you, since you’re supposed to be my best friend,” she said, folding her arms over her bulging middle.

  Kendall had to grin at the petulant expression on Georgie’s face. “I’m sorry. I promise as soon as I have something juicy to share, you’ll be the first person I call.”

  “Well, all right then.” Georgie’s face suddenly brightened. “Hey, let’s dig into those doughnut muffins you brought over.”

  Kendall chuckled. Only food could divert her friend’s attention these days. Once Georgie had her baby, she was going to be a little more difficult to pacify when it came to questions regarding Kendall’s love life.

  Georgie gathered the dirty plates and stood just as her cell phone went off. She grabbed it off the table and her cheeks grew pink when she looked at who was calling. “Hey, sweetie,” she answered. “How’s work?”

  Kendall was about to give Georgie some privacy for her phone call with Walt, but one look at her friend’s sudden frown had Kendall slowly dropping back into her chair.

  “Oh no,” Georgie whispered. “What happened?” She was motionless and pale as she listened to her husband on the other end.

  Kendall hoped nobody had gotten hurt at the pharmacy. She waved to get Georgie’s attention. When Georgie finally looked up, Kendall mouthed, What’s up?

  She raised a finger then gave her attention back to Walt. “Are you sure he’s okay?”

  Kendall didn’t like the sound of that. Georgie wondered if he’s okay? Was the “he” Brad? A feeling of dread crept up her spine.

  No. You’re being silly, Kendall. Calm down. It’s probably nobody you know. Nevertheless, she pressed her hands together and anxiously waited for Georgie to get off the phone.

  “Okay, that’s good to know,” Georgie said, glancing at her watch. “I’m going to head over there now.” She clicked the phone off, and then gazed at Kendall with worried eyes.

  “What’s the matter?” Kendall blurted.

  “That was Walt,” she said, stating the obvious. “His buddy who owns a store on the boardwalk just called him. Now don’t flip out…”

  “Georgie! Don’t tell me not to flip out. Your telling me not to flip out is reason enough to flip out. Just tell me what happened.”

  “All right.” Georgie squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “Brad is in the hospital.”

  “Hospital?”

  Georgie nodded calmly. “Apparently, there were some teenagers at the boardwalk tonight. They’d been drinking and when Brad showed up, one of them pulled out a knife.”

  “He was stabbed?” Kendall cried. She felt ill. She must have looked it too, because Georgie shot over to her and quickly shoved Kendall’s head between her knees.

  “Take deep, slow breaths,” Georgie repeated as if she were instructing a yoga class. “Breathe in. Everything is fine.”

  Kendall whipped her head up with a scowl. “Um, excuse me, but everything is not fine. Brad—your brother, my boyfriend—has been stabbed.” Icy fear gripped her heart at the thought of him being rushed off in an ambulance.

  Oh, my gosh. It’s happening again. Just like Jake.

  “Take it easy, Kendall,” Georgie said, grabbing her shoulders and giving her a slight shake. “Brad just had his hand slashed a bit—nothing serious. He’s getting stitches as we speak. Worst-case scenario is he’ll get some ribbing from the guys in the department and his handwriting will be even sloppier than it already is for a few weeks. Other than that he’s fine.”

  Thank God, she thought. She began to shake even as the fearful images of him needing surgery or being in a coma began to recede from her mind. “Are you sure he only needs some stitches?”

  “Yeah, but I’m going to head over there now and check him out for myself to be sure. I know how you feel about hospitals. Do you want to go together?”

  Kendall froze. The last time she had been to the hospital was when Jake had been rushed there—when she had learned that the doctors had done all they could to save him and that he had passed away.

  Even though it seemed as if Brad would be okay, she couldn’t go back there. No way. Not now. She didn’t know how she’d react to seeing Brad lying there wounded, even if his injury was as minor as Georgie had told her. That was too close. What if next time he wasn’t so lucky? Maybe this was exactly the wake-up call she needed.

  “You go on without me,” she told Georgie, trying to school her expression. “I, um, have to stop home and let Deuce out first. He’s been by himself too long and I don’t want him to have an accident. I’ll head over afterward and meet you there.”

  Georgie opened her mouth as if she were going to question her excuse, but then nodded. “I’ll tell Brad you’re on your way.”

  Kendall averted her gaze as she stood. “Sure.”

  “Okay, see you there.” Georgie walked away and grabbed her purse.

  “See you there,” Kendall murmured, her heart feeling heavy.

  She just prayed Georgie and Brad would understand when she didn’t show up.

  Chapter Ten

  The next morning Kendall barely had the energy to whip eggs in a bowl. On Mondays the bakery was closed, and she had hoped to catch up on some much-needed rest, but sleep had been nearly impossible after learning Brad had been hurt on the job.

  She hadn’t heard from him last night. Not that she was surprised; he must have been exhausted after he was discharged. She felt awful for not showing up at the hospital, and now she couldn’t even muster up the courage to call him. Some girlfriend she was. Some friend. But she couldn’t face him yet. She was afraid she’d just crack and be of no comfort to him anyway.

  Brad had been lucky this time. Who knows what could have happened or what would happen in the future? Being a police officer was a dangerous job. She knew that, which was why it had been a mistake to think she could handle a relationship with him, even if only temporary.

  Her head was spinning. She couldn’t bring herself to think about it anymore. So, she put herself to work and decided to try out a new cookie recipe. Baking was good for her; it kept her hands and mind busy. She didn’t want to be tempted to pick up the phone and call Brad—she’d only upset them both more. Now was not the t
ime to say what she needed to say to him, especially when her emotions were so charged, and certainly not over the phone.

  Sliding her cookies in the oven, she heard the doorbell ring. Deuce popped his head up but didn’t bark. After a few seconds, he sprang up on all fours and started wagging his tail.

  Not a good sign, she thought wearily. Deuce only reacted like that for one person—Brad.

  Her shoulders slumped.

  The doorbell rang again and Deuce ran into the living room. Kendall sighed as she ripped off her apron and threw it on the counter. As much as she didn’t want to face Brad right now, she knew it wasn’t fair to string him along.

  When she pulled open the door, her heart inadvertently squeezed with joy. Brad was alive and real, standing before her. He was so handsome, even slightly disheveled with his hair uncombed and his face in need of a good shave. She wanted to run into his arms and just feel him, but she was afraid if she did that she’d never be able to let go. And she needed to let go. She had to.

  “Hi,” he said with a rueful smile. He lifted up his bandaged hand. “I must have been discharged from the hospital before you showed up. Sorry we missed each other. My partner drove me home and I completely crashed from the pain medicine they gave me. But I’m feeling much better, so I thought I’d come over and try to cash in on some of that girlfriend TLC I missed out on.” He stepped into the house and was about to lean in to kiss her, but she backed away.

  “You should be home resting,” she told him, holding her palm up, hoping to keep him where he was.

  The corners of his lips quirked in a confused smile. “Wow, don’t sound so happy to see me. A guy could get a big head around here.”

  Her cheeks heated. She didn’t want to sound so cold, especially with everything he’d just been through, but she had to keep herself distanced and in control, otherwise she’d never be able to say what needed to be said. He deserved better.

  Deuce jumped up on his hind legs and began pawing at Brad’s thighs for attention. “Hey, boy,” he said, scratching her dog’s head. “I’m glad somebody here is feeling affectionate.”