Promises, Promises (Class of '85)

by James, Silver

  “I heard that, Maggie Carpenter!” Big Mike bellowed from the kitchen and then his head popped through the window. “I told you last fall you’d always have a place here, Kelly. A Doogan never goes back on his word. When can you start?”

  Kelly laughed, and her tension flowed away with the chuckles. “A week from Monday? Lighthouse has a function this coming weekend and I can’t leave George shorthanded. I’ll give him my notice today.”

  Now that she’d made a decision, relief flooded her. She grabbed the bottle of malt vinegar, liberally dosed the fish and chips, and wolfed them down, hungry for the first time in ages. As she finished off the last bite, Michael walked in through the front door. His expression brightened as he saw her and she smiled. Sliding off the bar stool, she met him halfway. She rocked up on her toes, kissed him, and winked. “I’m late but your dad has some news.” Kelly danced out of his embrace and almost skipped to the door.

  ****

  After the bell jangled, Michael turned to Maggie. “What was that all about?” He wondered for a moment if Big Mike had finally popped the question.

  “Kelly is quitting.”

  Stunned, Mike closed his gaping mouth. The economy was tight and it wasn’t like her to quit a job before she had another one lined up. “She get a better job?” He tried not to worry that she’d be moving to Rochester. He’d commute, of course, but… Maggie’s explanation relieved the weight in his chest.

  “She’s finally going to work here.”

  He grinned. From ear to ear. He could only hope Kelly’s decision would bode well for her answering yes to his question of moving in. He had a much more serious question to ask her but he could wait now. “Outstanding!

  ****

  George was not happy to lose an experienced server and prep helper but he had several applicants to choose from to replace her so Kelly didn’t feel guilty. Besides, she was sticking with him through the Rockford wedding. They were a picky lot—what her mother would call nouveau riche—but she knew how to handle them and how to keep them happy so they would continue to hire Lighthouse Catering every time they had a big event.

  Kelly spent the weekend with Michael but then insisted on going back to her apartment, though he persisted until she let him change out the locks. He joked about charging her father and she almost let him write up an invoice. They went out for pizza instead, their laughter and joking causing heads to turn. After dinner, sitting in his SUV, Michael turned to her. “Where we going? Your place or home?”

  She would have answered “home” before he added the second question, and was shocked when she realized that “home” to her was not her apartment, but his. Stunned by the revelation, she simply stared at him, her mouth working wordlessly. “Home. I mean…my apartment. I…” She sighed. “I’m not sure I’m ready to live with you, Michael. It feels…”

  “Wicked?” He winked at her. “Sexy?”

  Kelly giggled.

  “Maybe it feels right, Kel? Or perfect? Because that’s the way it feels to me.”

  His expression radiated sincerity as she gazed at him. She choked off the flippant reply and said nothing instead. Kelly searched deep inside looking for answers. Why was she hesitant to make this commitment with Michael? She’d long ago resolved her issues with Geoff and her failed marriage. Michael was nothing like her ex. He was rock solid, honorable, and if she’d let him, he would shoulder her burdens, too. Perhaps that was the gist of her reluctance. She didn’t want to drag him into her financial mess.

  “I’m not ready, Michael. But I will think about it. Seriously. Okay?”

  He nodded, though she could tell from his expression that he wasn’t happy with her answer. It was the best she could do at the moment.

  They drove to her parents’ house in silence and when Michael parked the Yukon in the drive, he left the motor running when he got out and walked around to her door to open it. He was always a gentleman, even when he was disappointed. She climbed out and he shut the door. They walked toward the stairs but he stopped as she stepped up.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He was tall enough they stared eye-to-eye. He leaned in but his kiss was the barest brush of his lips across her mouth.

  Before she could react, he’d turned and was climbing into his SUV. She waited on the bottom step as he backed out of the drive. Only after he was gone from sight did she trudge up the stairs. The new key worked smoothly and she pushed through the door, angry and sad at the turn of events and her own indecision. Deep down, she knew Michael was the best thing that had ever happened to her. She could even forgive Geoff and the fact she owed millions in reparations because she would never have met Michael if not for that.

  Her eyes stung with tears and she blinked them away. Life without Michael?

  Unimaginable.

  Chapter Seven

  Mike clutched the small, velvet ring box in his right hand. His heart pounded and the lump in his throat was so big he could neither breathe nor swallow for a long moment. He was terrified of jumping the gun and scaring off the woman he was convinced he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Kelly hadn’t been divorced that long. Was he rushing her?

  “What do you think? Is that the ring to win a yes from your lady love?”

  The solitaire diamond winked at him in the bright sunlight streaming through the window. Spring had finally established a toehold and the sun was chasing winter away. June, traditionally the month of brides and weddings, wasn’t far off. He took a deep breath and the tension in his chest eased.

  “Yes. I think this is the one, thanks. We can bring it in to be sized, right?”

  “Of course. There’s no charge for that. And the two of you can look at wedding bands when you come in.”

  Mike grinned. Wedding bands. He really liked the sound of that. He nodded, as much to himself as to the older woman beaming at him from behind the counter. This was very much the right thing to do. He set the box on the counter so the clerk could ring up his purchase.

  A few minutes later, he stepped out into the gentle warmth of the early spring day feeling on top of the world. He planned on taking off from the pub that night in order to be waiting for Kelly when she finished the wedding reception. The groom and his buddies had partied at Doogan’s the night before. If his boasts were to be believed, the reception would be a short one. Mike had hinted to his dad why he needed to take off on a Saturday night. Big Mike grumbled but agreed to pay overtime to the day cook so he could work the bar. Maggie could fill in behind the counter, too, if they got really busy. Mike would stay until the very last moment and then dash over to the catering office to pick up Kelly.

  All afternoon, the box burned a hole in his pocket. At one point, he finally pulled it out to show Maggie. His dad was involved in a heated game of darts in the back of the pub. He called Maggie over and surreptitiously opened the box. The waitress threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

  “Well done, Mike. She’ll love it!”

  He let out the breath he’d been holding and smiled. “Whew. I was worried. Now if she’ll just say yes!”

  Maggie backed away and studied him. “You two haven’t talked about this?” She nodded at his guilty look. “You are taking a chance, Mike.”

  “We’ve talked about moving in together. I…I want it more official, Maggie. I love her.”

  “Then tell her that. I can’t imagine she’d say no.”

  The afternoon dragged into early evening. Though distracted, Mike managed to keep up with his duties. At a quarter of midnight, he slipped out and headed over to Lighthouse Catering. The van was parked in front and a line of people unloaded it. Kelly was not one of them. He parked and approached George Light, the owner.

  “Where’s Kelly?”

  George handed a box to a girl and stared at Mike. “She walked home from the reception hall.”

  “I thought she was coming back here to clean up like usual.”

  “That was the plan. She wasn’t feeling good though. Looked all flushed
like she was coming down with something. I sent her home after the reception. S’far as I know, she walked.”

  Mike bit back his anger. Kelly was sick and George made her walk? If tonight hadn’t been her last night, he would have insisted she quit. Unable to say anything civil, he simply nodded, turned on his heel, and headed to Kelly’s. If she wasn’t there, he’d backtrack to the hall and pick her up.

  ****

  Feeling lightheaded and slightly nauseous, Kelly walked carefully, cautiously. She’d had canned soup for dinner and only had water to drink at the reception. No fever despite her flushed cheeks, luckily. She figured she had a touch of food poisoning and was glad she’d eaten nothing at the reception. She’d hate for any of the guests to get sick. She stopped under a streetlight at an intersection and glanced around. Nothing looked familiar. The street sign was on the opposite corner. She squinted trying to make out the names but the letters swam across her vision. She grabbed the light pole to keep from falling over. Fumbling in her pocket, she found the cell phone Mike had given her. She thought she dialed 9-1-1 but she heard nothing—no ring tones, no reassuring dispatcher’s voice—as she held it to her ear.

  “Well, well, well. Looks like Miss Rich Bitch is having a little trouble.”

  She turned and almost fell again. Willing her eyes to focus, she recognized the little weasel her father had hired, then fired. “Oscar?”

  “Heh. You remember me. At least for now. You won’t once I’m done.”

  The little man wasn’t making sense even though one part of her brain tried valiantly to make sense of what was going on. Had she been drugged? But how? Thinkthinkthink.

  Everyone marked their names on their water bottles. Was it possible Oscar had sneaked into the prep area and put something in her water? She shivered, remembering all those times she’d felt someone watching her, of someone being in the garage apartment. Had her father given Oscar a key? She wanted to throw up. Clutching her arms around her middle, she held on to consciousness.

  “What do you want?”

  “I thought that was obvious, bitch. You’ve looked down your nose at me for the last time.” He grabbed her arm and jerked. Off-balance, she fell to her knees and cried out at the bruising pain. “Shut up. And get up or I’ll drag you.”

  Kelly managed to get to her feet and realized her phone was still clutched in her hand. She tried to surreptitiously dial 9-1-1 again and prayed the call went through. Oscar squeezed her biceps brutally and dragged her up the street. She shuffled along, unable to do more than drag her feet. She was moments away from passing out but swore she heard squealing tires and a car door slam. And could those be sirens off in the distance? She sank into a soft bed filled with black feathers…

  ****

  “Kelly? Kelly, you need to wake up now.” She didn’t recognize the voice of the woman calling her name. The woman, or someone, pinched her arm. Hard.

  “Owww.”

  “That’s better. Open your eyes now. We need to make sure the effects of the GHB are wearing off.”

  Her eyes flew open and she tried to sit up. “GHB?”

  The nurse pushed her back against the pillows at her back. “You were drugged, hon. Now let me get a blood pressure reading and check your eyes.”

  A few minutes later, the woman made some notes on a chart and smiled. “You’ll be able to go home soon. In the meantime, there is a very anxious gentleman out in the hallway.” She pushed through the door and Michael all but tumbled into the room.

  He rushed to the bed and grabbed her hand. “Are you okay? Will you be all right? Damn, Kelly, you had me scared to death!”

  She squeezed his hand and basked in the glow of his concern. “The nurse says I’ll be fine. I’m a little fuzzy, though. What happened?”

  “Oscar Fenton, that creep who’s been stalking you? He drugged you. And tried to kidnap you. Luckily, I’d gone looking for you.”

  Kelly blinked up at him. “Looking for me? We didn’t have a date or anything…did we?”

  He settled on the side of the hospital bed, still holding her hand. He used his other hand to brush the hair back from her face. “No. We didn’t have a date. But…well…I had something to ask you.”

  She watched him and smiled as color suffused his face. “Are you blushing?”

  Mike glanced around, as if making sure no one watched them. “This isn’t the place I had in mind but I realized last night that I could lose you in the blink of an eye. I don’t want to waste another minute.” He turned loose of her hand as he fumbled in his pocket and withdrew a small box. Popping open the box, he cleared his throat. “Will you marry me, Kelly?”

  She stared at him, both shocked and surprised. “I can’t.”

  The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. His hopeful expression wilted and she could feel him pulling away from her both physically and emotionally.

  Michael stood up and stepped back. “You can’t?”

  She winced at the pain radiating in those two words. “Not right now. I…Michael, I’m a fiscal liability right now. I can’t expect you to take care of me…or my debts. I won’t let you.”

  “Dammit, Kelly! You didn’t steal that money. Your ex-husband did. I understand why you want to help but are you going to punish yourself forever?”

  She watched him pace, unsure of what to say or do.

  He stopped, staring out the window with his back to her. His shoulders slumped. “I’d give you everything I have if it would help, but you are so damned stubborn.” Uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Michael finally turned to stare at her. “I’ll have a prenup drawn up, if that’s what it takes to convince you. It goes against everything I’ve ever done or felt, but if signing it will get you to marry me, I’ll do it.” He returned to her bedside and very carefully placed the ring box on the bedside table. Without a look at her or saying a word, he headed for the door. Michael hesitated, as if waiting for her to say something. When she didn’t, he opened the door and stepped out.

  As the door whispered shut, he added, “Call me if you change your mind.”

  Chapter Eight

  Kelly stared at the tiny box perched on the narrow kitchen counter. She had to make a decision and make it now. When she’d checked out of the hospital, Maggie was waiting for her. Despite the older woman’s invitation to stay at her place, Kelly insisted on returning to the garage apartment. She gazed around the room and suppressed a shudder. There was nothing homey about this place. She’d added nothing of her own personality here. Bare walls. Old furniture. Plastic cups in the cabinet. She didn’t even own a coffee maker. Was Michael right? Had she stopped living the moment she walked out of her former home?

  Bottom line, she loved Michael and the thought of not seeing him, of never feeling his arms around her again made her sadder than she’d ever been. Was she being stubborn? Her hand remained steady as she reached for the jewelry box and popped it open. The solitaire ring winked at her.

  “Okay, Kelly, here’s what we’re going to do. Pull the ring out and try it on. If it fits, you’ll march your tush down to Doogan’s and throw yourself on Michael’s mercy. If it doesn’t, you’ll start looking for another job.” Saying it out loud made it more real.

  This time, as she pulled the ring from its velvet cushion, her hand shook. She took a deep breath and placed the ring on her finger. It slipped on easily, with only a moment’s hesitation over her knuckle. It fit. Perfectly. Only then did she breathe. Only then did she realize her cheeks were slick with tears.

  The knock at the door startled her. Still spooked by her experience with her creepy stalker, she peeked out. Michael’s broad shoulders filled the peephole. She fumbled with the lock but finally got the door open.

  “Kelly? Kelly, what’s wrong?” Michael stepped in and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong now that you’re here. I’m so sorry, Michael. I’m such a fool. And an idiot.” She reluctantly let go and took a step back so she could hold her l
eft hand up. “It fits.”

  He looked perplexed. “You’re crying because the ring fits?”

  She laughed through a fresh spurt of tears. “It’s a long story. But…are you still asking? Can I still say yes?”

  “On one condition.”

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Oh?”

  “That we go to the reunion together.”

  “Oh!” Kelly threw her arms around his neck. “Okay. Yes. You bet.”

  “I love you, Kelly.”

  “Not as much as I love you, Michael.”

  ****

  Michael looked up at the jangle and grinned as his best friend walked in the door. Deke Carpenter waved and then stalked his mother as she cleaned off a table. After their reunion, Deke perched on a bar stool as he slid a foaming Guinness in front of him.

  “How’s life, Deke? Glad you could make it.”

  “Ha. My producer gave me no choice. I have to put on a monkey suit and appear tomorrow night at the Eastman dinner. What about you? You going to make any of the events?”

  Mike shook his head. “Naw. I’m working. My date had to be in New York City and she won’t make it back until Monday or Tuesday.”

  “Date? Mom told me you’re engaged to Kelly Burke…Kincaid…whatever name she’s using now.”

  “She’ll be Kelly Doogan before the end of the summer. She was subpoenaed by the US Attorney’s office.”

  Deke laughed. “I heard her ex got caught. The idiot left Brazil to vacation in the Virgin Islands. The federal marshals’ fugitive task force was waiting for him at the marina when he sailed his fancy yacht up to the dock.”

  “Yeah. She had to go testify. She may even get some of her trust fund back, not that it matters.” Mike glanced at the wall clock. “Excuse me a minute, Deke. I want to call her to say good night.”

  Alone in the office, he dialed Kelly’s number.

  ****