by Terra Kelly
Kenzie was trying to contain her laughter, then Izzy tripped, and she laughed so hard. Once they reached the large dressing room, she stopped Izzy. “Okay, open those beautiful eyes.”
Isabel took in a deep breath, then while exhaling opened her eyes. Hanging on a hook in the back of the dressing room was her wedding dress. The dress had shimmering material with silk under the sheer fabric. A few areas had lace to tie each section together. There was a long train, gorgeous silk covered buttons on the back, a scoop neckline and three quarter sleeves with lace around the cuffs. There was a veil sitting on the bench next to the dress, it had two combs that would be positioned in her hair to stay in place.
Isabel was speechless. The dress was more than she could’ve ever hoped for and now she wanted cry. “Oh my, Kenzie, it’s stunning. The shimmering material is just perfect; Drew is going to just fall in love with me all over again.”
“Awwww, I couldn’t agree more, sweetie.” She walked over to undo each of the silk buttons on the back. “Let’s get you in this beauty. I’m excited to see you in it.”
Isabel removed her pants and t-shirt. “I hope I grabbed the right size. With my body, my weight fluctuates more than a hummingbird breathes in one minute... and that is a lot.”
Kenzie laughed. “If we need to alter it, then we will, no big deal.” She took the dress off the hanger and brought it closer to the floor so Izzy could step into it. “Okay, let’s bring it up and button this baby. I’m in love with this dress already. The shimmering material is gorgeous. I have been waiting all day to see you in it, this is way too exciting.”
Isabel was struggling to keep calm as Kenzie buttoned the silk buttons along her back. Once Kenzie fastened the last button, Isabel grabbed a fist full of her dress in each hand and twirled in place twice. “Oh Kenzie, it’s perfect.” She stopped and was looking at herself in the full-length mirror. “I love the scoop neck. Now I need to figure out which necklace to wear.” She was struggling to keep her tears at bay. “Let’s try on the veil, too.”
Kenzie reached for the veil and placed the combs in Izzy’s hair. She put the front part of the veil over her face and stepped back to observe how beautiful Isabel looked. Within seconds they both were blubbering idiots. “I could use a glass of wine. How about you?”
Isabel just stood there looking at herself in the mirror, stunned by what she saw reflected back at her. “Bourbon or wine would do me good for sure. Hey, Drew sent me a text saying he was at The Clam Bake for dinner with a couple of the guys from work. You want to go get dinner and a stiff drink with me?”
“Sounds like a perfect idea and Joshua is bartending there tonight. I had to take care of some things for the store last night, so I haven’t seen him for a few days.” She admitted, “I miss him. Which sounds like a cheesy teenage crush.”
Kenzie had just finished unbuttoning all the buttons on the back of the dress and was just about to slide the dress off the shoulder. Isabel grabbed for her hand. “It’s not cheesy, sweetie. You can tell you both are happy and that’s all that matters. Have you talked to him about the things you said you needed to talk to him about?”
Kenzie sighed and looked down. “No, not yet.” She looked back up at Isabel, and said, “I know, I know, the longer I wait, the harder it will be to talk to him. I feel embarrassed and have no idea how to approach the subject. I’ll figure it out, I promise.”
Isabel squeezed her hand. “I know you will and I know you will feel better once you talk to him.” She reached out and pulled Kenzie in for a big bear hug. “You’re pretty special, you know that?”
Kenzie laughed. “I don’t know, maybe?”
Isabel pushed her, and teased, “Oh hush, woman.” The bell on the front door chimed, followed by a loud voice. Both women looked at each other and said, “Shawna!”
Kenzie opened the door to the dressing room. “Hey snoop-drunky-drunk, we’re in here.”
Shawna had a look of annoyance, then with her hands on her hips she pointed at Kenzie. “Snoop-drunky-drunk, really?”
Kenzie laughed. “Not a fan of the name, eh?”
“Whatever, but now I need to find an appropriate nickname for you.” She looked at Isabel, and asked, “How’s the most beautiful bride in the whole world doing?” Isabel was still half-way in the dress, so she brought it back up- and placed her arms in the sleeves for Shawna. “Izzy, you look stunning.”
“I’m in love with my wedding dress, and in need of a stiff drink. Want to join us at The Clam Bake?”
Shawna was a little nervous to say yes, she had a feeling Danny would be there. There was something about that man that made her insides heat to the boiling point. She knew what it was, he was hot as hell. She didn’t have time to think about dating. Plus, she wasn’t ready for a relationship, not just yet. She looked at Isabel. “I don’t know. I should get home.”
Isabel ignored her. “Okay, perfect, let’s all head there now.” She finished getting dressed, refreshed her make-up- and fluffed her long tresses.
Kenzie and Shawna were up front sitting on the couch when Isabel approached. “Ready, ladies?” Isabel grabbed their hands and pulled them to their feet, then looped her arms into theirs. “There is a drink calling our name. Can you hear it?”
All three girls were laughing, and full of smiles as they walked into The Clam Bake together. The bar was busy with the sounds of 70’s Southern rock playing overhead. There were several people eating, laughing, and having a good time.
Joshua had his back to the door, leaning against the bar, and was talking to a customer. It looked like they were in a heated conversation about something but they still had smiles on their faces. He pushed off the bar, and slapped his hand on the counter in a gesture of ‘I need to make drinks, man.’ He looked up at that moment and locked eyes with Kenzie. She took her arm out from Isabel. “Excuse me ladies, I need to see a man about a drink.” Kenzie looked like she was floating toward Josh, she was so drawn to him. As she approached him, she said, “Hey there stranger, fancy seeing you here.” Then she moved her hands up his chest, brought them behind his neck, and smiled. “Hi.”
He brought his hands around her waist. “Hi. You busy again tonight?” He moved in closer, pressing all of him, even the most important areas of him to her gorgeous body.
She sighed in pleasure. “Hmmmm… not too busy tonight. Did you have plans?” She moved her hands up and fisted them into his hair and pulled him in for a heart-stopping kiss. It felt like time stood still at that moment. Like every sound had just stopped for them and they were the only people that mattered. She wanted him, cared for him, and needed to talk to him soon. Not tonight, nope, not tonight.
Isabel and Shawna walked toward the group of guys playing darts in the corner. The moment Kenzie pulled Joshua in for a much needed kiss. Isabel looked at Shawna. “Does the room feel on fire or is it me?”
Shawna fanned herself. “Oh, it’s on fire, girl.”
Drew and Danny walked over, Drew grabbed Isabel’s hand and tugged her in. “Fire, where?”
Danny looked at Shawna, she was wearing another one of her flashy outfits, but not as flashy as the corset getup. That last outfit he saw her in about did him in. Holy hell was she stunning! He glanced over at Joshua and Kenzie. “They have some serious chemistry.” Turning to Drew and Isabel. “If remember right, not unlike you two, right Shawna?”
Shawna cleared her throat. “Huh, oh yes, similar to you two,” she said, smiling. She was feeling claustrophobic and needed to get out of here. “Hey Izzy, I forgot I needed to tend to something. I will have to catch you on the flip-side. Sorry, babe.” She was hesitant, but looked up to enjoy Danny’s face for a moment. “Take care.” Then just like that she was making her way to the door.
Danny scowled. “Was it something I said?”
“No sweetie, it’s just you,” she teased, waving a hand around him. “You and your gorgeous self.” She placed her hand on the side of his face. “Just be patient, okay? I don’t even know all o
f her past that is how guarded she is.”
Danny sighed. “Okay, but I don’t know how long I can wait. She’s gotten in my head lately.”
Isabel walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. “She’ll come around, I promise.”
“Do you need to work ‘till 2:00 tonight?” Kenzie was sitting at the bar on one of the high barstools that had a cushion seat. She had her hand wrapped around a short cocktail glass and was working on her Chenin My Bourbon cocktail. Her hair was up in a ponytail, she was wearing cropped khakis and a long-sleeve teal henley. The three buttons on the shirt were left undone, which left room to see just a hint of her gorgeous breasts.
Joshua was filling two pint glasses with some Yuengling beer. “Nope, I’m heading out about 9:00. I need to grade math assignments and want them done tonight. Want to help me?”
Kenzie’s heart felt like it had just fallen to the floor, helping with math… oh hell no. “I’ll join you and keep the puppies busy instead. That’s more fun.” She felt her heart rate increase and her hands felt a little clammy. “I’m going to go bother Izzy for a bit,” she said, leaning forward and squeezing his hand. Then she got up and went to sit with Izzy.
Isabel was sitting at the table with a couple guys Kenzie didn’t recognize. As she approached the table, she heard Izzy say, “Hopefully Shawna will come around. Danny wants to get to know her.” Then Isabel looked up. “Hey sweetie, come join in the fun. This is Eddie and Andrew, they work with Drew and Danny.” She moved over to make room for Kenzie to sit beside her. The table was full of glasses that were half-filled with beer and several that were empty. Izzy took one look at Kenzie and could tell something was off, she asked, “You okay, love?”
Kenzie gave an ever so slight smile. “I think I may need to talk with Josh tonight. He mentioned something, and it made me realize I can’t keep holding back.” She sighed. “I’m kinda freaking out right now.”
Izzy grabbed her hand. “So tell me this, is it a life or death situation?”
“No.”
“Does it have something to do with Joshua?”
“No.”
Izzy smiled. “Then why are you worried?”
Kenzie looked up at the bar, Joshua was wiping off the counter and laughing at someone. “Because it could make him look at me differently and he may be embarrassed to be with me after I tell him.”
Izzy gave an audible sound of disapproval. “Oh please, honey, if that is all you are worried about, then stop worrying. Haven’t you figured out by now, the Winters family doesn’t judge, they love you for who you are?”
Kenzie looked at Izzy. “I hope you’re right.”
Isabel laughed. “Didn’t we talk about this before? I’m always right, sweetie.” She took a sip of her old fashioned. “Now, go ravage that man, he hasn’t stopped looking this way. Oh wait, never mind, he is on his way over here.”
Kenzie glanced over and saw Joshua making his way over to their table. She loved his long legs and the way he walked with a purpose. She looked up as he approached. “Hey.”
He brushed his finger down the side of her face. “Hey there, sexy stalker.”
Isabel almost spit her drink out and then burst out laughing. “Oh, you know I’m telling Shawna this, right?”
Kenzie laughed. “Oh shit, that’s right. You could forget?”
Isabel shook her head. “Oh hell no, girl. This is too good.”
Joshua pulled a chair from the other table and sat down next to Kenzie. “What did I miss?”
“Oh, you know, girl stuff.” Then she pushed Kenzie and laughed again.
Drew and Danny had been in a heated game of darts and were now walking back to the table. Drew looked at Isabel. “What did you do?”
Isabel placed her hand over her chest. “Moi? Never me, always the other person, remember?”
Kenzie laughed and sat there looking at everyone sitting at the table. For ten years she thought about getting back to Wilmington, ten long years. She had close friends in Arizona but nothing like this. Here everyone grew up with each other and stayed friends for life. She looked over at Joshua, he was laughing with Drew about something. She realized at that moment, it was time to talk with Joshua, but she needed to think about how to tell him.
Joshua grabbed Kenzie’s hand, taking her out of her reverie. “Want to head over to my place?”
“You sure I won’t be in the way while you work?”
“Never.”
“Oh, thank you Elvis, so many kisses tonight.” Kenzie said, her back was up against the couch. She brushed both hands down the sides of his face and scratched his back. Elvis and Costello both had such fluffy, soft fur where you could get your fingers lost in the silky strands. “Are you feeling neglected, Costello? Come here and these hands will work magic on you, too.” She smiled down at both dogs, Elvis had a habit of attaching himself to her side every time she arrived at the house. Costello was more reserved and got his scratches only when it suited him.
She went to hang out with Joshua at his house. His house was more fun, especially with his gigantic love bugs. He sat on the floor next to her, his legs were stretched out under the coffee table. His back was hunched over as he graded the math assignments. The homework wouldn’t be returned until Monday, but he wanted to have it all done before the weekend.
Costello was tiring of Joshua working, so he got up and sat down right next to him. Then, as Joshua moved his red marker down the page, Costello stopped him with his paw- and rested his head next to his hand. Joshua stopped and laughed. “Is that my cue to stop working for the night, big guy?” Then Costello let out a whine and leaned forward to lick his face. He shook his head, and asked, “Do you agree with this big lug?”
Kenzie reached her hand forward and moved a strand of hair that was sitting right over Joshua’s eye. She smiled. “Well, you could work on them this weekend a little and hang with us now.” Then she looked at Elvis, grabbed his furry face in her hands. “Doesn’t that sound like more fun, huh, yes it does?” Elvis fell forward and was lying on Kenzie’s chest. She giggled. “Oh how I adore these babies.”
Joshua moved the coffee table forward and turned towards Kenzie. “Do you need a little help?” He scratched Elvis behind the ear. “Hey buddy, my turn to lay on top of her, you need to go lay down.” His dogs were so well-behaved that they went to lay down on the other side of the living room.
With a look of shock. “Wow, they listen to you. How long did it take to get them to respond to your commands?”
Joshua had scooted forward and put one leg behind her back- and the other leg on top of hers. “Not long, because I knew what I wanted and I always get what I want.”
Kenzie looked down at his leg, then back up at Joshua. “You do, huh?”
“Uh huh, always,” he said, then he moved his fingers under the fabric of her shirt to explore her delicate skin. “So, since you didn’t want to help with grading my math assignments. Do you want to help with some anatomy and physiology homework?”
Kenzie had fireworks going off all over her body, but they fizzled out the moment he mentioned homework. She slumped in his arms and put her head back on the couch. Looking up at the ceiling, she sighed, and tried to think about how to approach the subject.
Joshua was kissing her neck when she slumped in his arms. “You okay?”
Taking in a deep breath, she let it out and looked at him. “It’s time we talked, but I’m scared to share this with you.” She squeezed his arm, then moved to the side to get out of his delicious hold. She would rather stay snuggled up close to his warm body any day, but it was time to get it all out in the open. It was all or nothing now, whatever happened, she was ready.
He pulled his legs into his body and sat cross-legged. “Scared? What is it, Kenzie? Whatever it is, it won’t change how I feel about you.”
She needed a little space between them, his proximity made it hard to think. She pulled herself up on the couch and tucked her
feet up under her body. “I hope you still feel that way once I share more about me. I have a feeling you won’t want to be seen in public with me once you know the truth of my past.” She twirled a lock of hair around her fingers and was feeling flushed all over.
Joshua was worried. “Just tell me so we can work it out.” He needed some kind of contact with her, so he placed his hand on her thigh. “Kenzie, talk to me.”
She gave an ever so slight smile. “Well, you know how I told you my dad was injured in Afghanistan two months after we moved back to Arizona? Well, that is all true, he was bad.” She could feel tears threatening to surface, but she tried to stay strong for a little longer. “He had a severe head trauma, was paralyzed, and there was a possibility he could lose both legs. His head trauma was severe and caused him to lose memory of his family members.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “My mom was trying to care for him, deal with my wild brother, and take care of the household. The military took care of my dad, but still…”
Joshua looked worried, “How long did your dad deal with the memory loss?”
“His memory came back about two or three months later, but that was not positive either. Once he remembered the blast that caused his injuries, and realize he was paralyzed, he felt depressed and was on suicide watch.” She looked up at Joshua. “It was a full year of intense medical care for my dad. Both my mom and I tag-teamed to help get him better, along with making sure Gage stayed out of trouble. Gage took everything hard, he wanted the dad that left to go to Afghanistan. That man was gone forever. He lashed out and got into trouble all the time in school or the law. He didn’t make things easy for my mom, which is why I continued to help her any way I could.” She brought her legs out from underneath her and stretched them out on the couch. She was silent for a moment, just taking this moment in and feeling nervous to continue.
Joshua leaned up on his knees. “What happened next that has you scared to continue the story? I know your mom and brother are still alive and your dad is doing great, right?”
