June 1995
Two Weeks after Graduation
York, England
“Gareth, meet Kelsey Chapman. She’s our guest exchange student and will be staying with us for the summer while working with the Art Department at the University.” Gareth Blythe was never speechless. He was the strapping, clever, youngest child, and only son of the Blythe family. Having two older sisters helped shape him into the charming gentleman he had become. Always having the right thing to say when they brought over their lovely girl friends prepared him later in life for how he could charm the ladies on campus. He’d just returned from the York University football complex when he was rendered speechless by the most piercing hazel eyes and electric smile that he’d ever come in contact with.
Kelsey stood, hand outstretched, and waited for him to respond but began to shrink back when she realized he was just going to stare at her as if she had something crawling out of her face. “Good Lord, Gareth, stop staring, and shake the poor girl’s hand for pity’s sake,” his mother, Camilla, practically shrieked.
“Oh, of course, where are my manners?” he sheepishly replied while extending his hand, “It’s wonderful to meet you!” When he touched her hand he nearly jumped out of his skin. He was quickly jolted back to reality with his mother’s voice. “Gareth, would you mind fetching her luggage from my vehicle, please?” his mother asked half smiling as she watched the comedy of errors that unfolded before her.
“Yes, of course,” Gareth replied. As he turned to head to the front door, Kelsey was right behind him, “Let me help you. Surely you shouldn't be saddled with all of it.” It was no problem, he assured her, but when he opened the back of the Land Rover, he was shocked to see four large suitcases sitting there. His eyes widened, and he looked up at Kelsey then back down at the luggage. “Well, are you sure you didn't forget anything?” he asked with a hint of sarcasm and small smile. Kelsey shouldered him to the side, a bit embarrassed as the redness raced across her cheeks.
“I came prepared and brought some comforts of home. I can take it from here,” she said with irritation in her voice. He hadn't meant to embarrass her, and as she reached in to take the first suitcase, he grabbed her hand and apologized. “Kelsey, forgive me. I promise I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just wasn't expecting you…I mean all of you…all of this!” he sputtered, and then before he could even think about his next words he practically vomited out, “You’re quite beautiful, Kelsey.” Oh Holy Jesus did I just say that out loud?
Kelsey abruptly pulled her hand back. “Gareth, while I appreciate your kind words, I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share of American girls in your life because of your mother’s position at the University. Furthermore, this American is neither interested nor available. Do I make myself clear?” Kelsey abruptly snatched two of her suitcases from the back of the Rover and proceeded to the house.
Gareth leaned against the vehicle and heaved out a deep breath. “Nice job, you bloody idiot,” he muttered under his breath as he grabbed the other two suitcases and headed back to the house. He managed to get them up the stairs where he found the door to Kelsey’s room shut. He placed them in front of her door, lifted his hand, and reached out to knock but then hesitated and thought it best to just leave them there. He was embarrassed by the fact this eighteen-year-old American girl had reduced him to nothing more than a babbling oaf. Why in the world was she different? He honestly had no idea; he’d seen and been with plenty of beautiful women, but he felt something unexplainable and instant the moment he saw Kelsey.
He needed to shower off the football practice smell that had accompanied him home and get ready for the welcome dinner his mother always prepared for new students. His sisters and their husbands would be joining them. He had plenty of studying to do as well but was finding it hard to focus on much else except the hazel-eyed American that had crashed into his life just twenty minutes ago.
As he climbed in the shower, he found his thoughts everywhere. Attending the same University where his mother was the Vice Chancellor made life interesting at times, and Gareth definitely felt that his behavior was under a microscope. However, he was no slouch in the classroom or on the football pitch. He had plans to attend medical school in the fall, and when he wasn't at practice, playing in a match, or in the gym trying to stay in shape, he was studying. While he treated his classes and workouts like a Monday through Friday job, the weekends were for stress relief. Indulging in good alcohol and pretty women were completely justified and what any healthy university student did to survive.
While he had a small place of his own available to him on campus, since his father’s passing a year ago, he liked staying in his boyhood bedroom, to be there for his mum who would otherwise be alone in a big, empty house. She and Gareth’s father had been married for thirty-five years when he died suddenly from a massive heart attack. That was a day that could still steal the very breath from his body when he thought about it. His sister Becs had called him at his apartment as he had been studying for a big exam. She could barely speak above a whisper, and a wave of dread shot though Gareth. The only thing he was able to understand was “come to the hospital; it’s dad.” He ran out the front door only to get to the hospital to discover his father was gone.
Gareth pulled himself out of his thoughts, jumped out of the shower, dried off, and wrapped a towel around his waist. As he walked over to his dresser to grab clean clothes he heard a thud outside his door followed by a moan. Without thinking, he threw his door open and saw Kelsey on the ground, pushing herself up with her hands. Before her brain could process what had happened, Gareth was beside her, half-nude and franticly apologizing because, in his assessment, Kelsey must have tripped over the very luggage he left in front of her door. “Oh god, Kelsey, are you okay? I thought you would see your luggage, and after what happened outside I was trying to give you space. That’s why...”
Before he could finish, he noticed tears streaming down her face and heard the sharp words, “Get your hands off of me, now!” Kelsey looked up and stared him straight in the eyes. Pushing her hair out of her face and behind her ears, she stared at him with such contempt that Gareth took three big steps back. While she was gritting her teeth, words seethed out, “How convenient that you should leave my luggage outside my door where you knew I would trip and then come to my rescue in only a towel?”
Gareth didn't dare speak. He saw the fire in her eyes, and while he was extremely turned on by it, he truly didn’t mean for all this to happen. Kelsey turned around, grabbed both suitcases, took them back to her room, and proceeded to close her bedroom door, leaving Gareth to stand in the hallway holding the towel around his waist, wondering how in the world he would survive the next twelve weeks.
Kelsey sat on the end of the bed and was finally letting the tears flow, really flow. She was exhausted and also jet lagged and hungry, and this Gareth jerk was not helping matters. Yes, he was gorgeous and built, even a blind person could see that, but she wasn’t interested in any of that. The one she gave her heart to was patiently waiting for her to come home in twelve weeks. She looked at the watch that he’d given her for graduation. It was five o’clock England time; she may be able to catch him at the office where he was putting in overtime on a Saturday. She grabbed her bag and pulled out her wallet with her international calling card. After carefully reading the instructions so that the Blythes wouldn’t have a ginormous phone bill, she called from the phone in her room.
By the fifth ring she had all but given up hope, but just as she was about to hang up, a breathless Jason answered, “Please tell me this is my Kelsey on the other end of this call?” Kelsey’s heart nearly burst, and the tears poured down her cheeks. “Yes” was all she could manage to get out before Jason realized that she wasn’t speaking because she was crying.
“Kels, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” She finally pulled herself together enough to tell him about her travels and how lovely and gracious Professor Blythe was but how awful her son was as she shar
ed all the events of the afternoon. She could hear Jason gritting his teeth through the phone. “Kelsey, say the word! I’m on the next flight over, and I’ll teach that son of a bitch a lesson in American diplomacy that he’ll never forget!” Kelsey started to laugh, something five minutes ago she didn't think possible. “I’m not kidding, Kelsey. If you call me crying again because of this asshat, there will be nothing to stop me from coming. Do you hear me?”
Jason was her knight in shining armor, and the very sound of his voice threatening to come to her aid was exactly the injection she needed to know she would be okay. “I hear you loud and clear, Jason; I’m just a little overwhelmed and tired and missing you so much.”
“I know you are, kiddo, but I miss you more, and I’m so proud of you. This is a really exciting time for you.” She could hear the sincerity and love in his voice. “When is your first day in class?”
“Monday. So I’ll finish unpacking tonight, try and get some sleep, and then Camilla, Professor Blythe, said that she would take me into town and on campus to show me around and also pick up the art supplies I’ll need so that I’m not completely out of my element come Monday morning.”
“Will you call me Monday to let me know how the first day of class went?”
“Absolutely! Who else am I going to share all my anxieties and excitement with?”
“Well, if that English fellow has his way…” and before Jason could even finish, “Jason, I gave my heart to you completely a few months ago; you have nothing to worry about.”
“Kelsey, I don’t doubt you or us for a second; I just don’t trust Romeo over there.”
She laughed, “I promise to tell him that you have a flight on standby in the event that you need to help improve diplomatic relations.”
He let out a laugh. “I love you so much, Kels, and I miss you so much already. I knew that it was going to be hard to let you go, and I’m so excited for you, but I had no idea that my heart could hurt this much without you here.” Kelsey could feel the giant lump in her throat forming, but she didn't want to get off the phone in tears, so she took deep breath. “Me too, Jason, me too.”
“Shall we end the conversation like we do every night?” he asked.
“Of course,” she replied.
“I love you, Kels. Dream of me.”
“I love you too. Dream of me as well, Jason. Goodnight.”
And with that she placed the phone back in the receiver on the table. Kelsey inhaled deeply and took a few minutes to refresh herself in the bathroom. As she looked in the mirror, after the conversation with Jason calmed her and brought home back into her heart, Kelsey thought of how irrational she’d been with Gareth. Being a rather self-aware individual, she tried to pinpoint why she’d become so incredibly enraged at his coming into the hall after she fell over her suitcases. For one, she’d been embarrassed. But it didn’t make sense to believe her host’s son was out to mortify her, neither with his remark about her suitcases nor with a diabolical plan to cause her to trip so he could come to her rescue, showing off his amazing body and perfect hair, still wet from the shower.
Kelsey was shocked at herself. There was the problem. She loved Jason with all her heart. She knew it. She was going to be with him forever. So why would she even think twice about a dashing Brit who would be sharing a home with her for the next several months? Kelsey knew she’d reacted as she did because she was tired and jet lagged and missing family and Jason—but also because she’d used the anger to push away a feeling she didn’t want to admit. “You’re going to see other attractive men in your life, Kelsey,” she told her reflection. “It doesn’t mean you have to push them away or worry just because you have eyes. Your heart is secure.” Feeling affirmed, she headed downstairs ready and determined to enjoy the next twelve weeks knowing that the love of her life was back home waiting for her.
There were seven places set at the eight-person table. Coming down the stairs she noticed all the family photos in the hall. As she looked at all the pictures on the walls, she saw a one of a handsome man who looked just like Gareth and the in memoriam clipping from the local paper framed. She quickly put together that the professor’s husband had passed away within the past year when she saw the name Duncan Blythe. She heard another set of footsteps coming down the stairs. As she turned, Gareth stopped midway. She could see he was contemplating running back up the steps, but she interrupted him mid thought.
“Gareth, are you joining us for dinner?” He let out a breath and cautiously answered with a “yes.” Kelsey looked at the table to her right then back up at the stairs to Gareth when the front door opened. Rebecca and Phil walked in chatting away with Ana and Ollie. The girls were stunning in their own way. Rebecca was tall, with long brown hair and blue eyes while Ana was tall with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Both were perfect mix of both parents. Rebecca was the executive type while Ana was the earthy one. Ana looked to be six months pregnant. Kelsey could only hope to look that beautiful one day when she was carrying Jason’s child. As they all greeted one another and came into the dining room, they made a beeline toward Kelsey.
“Hi there! You must be Kelsey! I’m Rebecca, Becs for short, and this is my husband Phil.” Shaking both their hands, Kelsey was enjoying the energy both sisters brought into the room. “I’m Ana, and this is my husband Ollie.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Kelsey replied. “I’m sorry if I seem a little out of it. I’m exhausted.”
“I can only imagine, you poor thing!” Becs exclaimed. Gareth stood back and watched their interactions not believing how much more smoothly it was going for them than it had for him. Camilla walked into the dining room with a gorgeous pot roast with all the perfect trimmings to go alongside it. Kelsey's stomach growled loud enough for everyone to hear. They all let out a good laugh. “Oh, you poor girl! You’re starving!” Ana exclaimed.
As they sat down for dinner Camilla realized, “Oh, I forgot the wine! Gareth, would you mind heading to the cellar for a red wine?” Kelsey felt a knot in her stomach, but then Camilla proceeded, “Grab a glass of water for Kelsey as well, please.” Camilla looked back at Kelsey, “I got the memo that you don’t drink, and it isn’t a problem.”
“Well, I can’t have wine either!” Ana exclaimed.
“Oh, yes, of course darling. Gareth, make that two glasses of water.”
Kelsey let out a breath of relief as Gareth strode back in with a bottle of red wine and two glasses of water. He carefully walked over and placed water in front of his sister and then, taking even more time, walked over to Kelsey and carefully placed it down in front of her. She could sense his trepidation as he worked extra hard to make sure that he didn’t spill it across her lap. All eyes were on him and found it comical as he placed it in front of her and stared at it as if in disbelief he’d done it without all the theatrics that seemed to plague them their first couple of meetings. Becs and Ana looked at each other then at Camilla who shrugged her shoulders.
“Thank you, Gareth.” He let his gaze reach hers and see the slight smile that was on her lips. He took the two steps needed to reach his seat, and dinner commenced.
In a word, it was perfect. The conversation and food flowed. Kelsey loved listening to Camilla talk about life with her late husband, Duncan. They had met at the University their junior year, and she knew he was the one she was going to marry. Kelsey’s heart warmed as she understood that exact feeling and was overcome almost to the point of tears. She managed to hold them back as to not interrupt Camilla as she talked about all the challenges of being a student, wife, mother, and eventually a professor. She regretted none of the challenges and wouldn't have changed any of the adventures she and Duncan got to share. Memories they created with each other and their three children were precious.
Kelsey was surprised to learn that Duncan was very involved as a volunteer with the local homeless shelter. Camilla went on to explain that they had contacted her to say they hoped to see her for the launch of the summer outreach
program that was coming up as well as help with the delivery of the weekly meals that were shared with the elderly who were had no way to come to the shelter. Kelsey jumped into the conversation trying to not sound overly excited, but thrilled by the idea of serving in this capacity in another country to gain a perspective she wouldn’t get in a classroom. “I volunteer at our local homeless shelter back home and would love to help.”
Camilla perked up. “Really, Kelsey?”
With all eyes at the table on her, Kelsey enthusiastically responded, “Yes. The work back home has meant so much to me. If there is an opportunity at all to help here, I'd truly love to.”
As Gareth listened to her, an unexpected wave washed over him. It wasn’t the usual reminder from his manhood that there was an attractive college student that he wouldn’t mind bedding. While she had his full attention down there, Kelsey hadn’t even been in their home twelve hours, and he was experiencing a tug on his heart. It wasn't the painful pull that had been there since his father’s passing. This tug was new. It was light, and he’d experienced it every moment he was near her, and the thought that crossed his mind at that very moment was I’m going to marry this girl.
Taking a sip of wine, Camilla placed her glass on the table and said, “Well I think we have a date then, don’t we, Kelsey?” Kelsey nodded her head yes, and they all laughed before the conversation continued as the sisters began to share stories about their father’s dedication to philanthropy.
Becs and Ana were just as funny and wonderful to listen to as their mother. Becs and her husband were both barristers. They worked for a firm and lived about thirty minutes away in Leeds. Ana was a math teacher for a private school, and her husband worked at the international offices of Vision World in York as well. This agency, among many things, provided education and medical vaccinations to third world countries, mainly in east and west Africa.
Dream a Little Dream of Me Page 6
