Chapter Nine        Bright sunlight woke me the next morning and I groaned as I buried my head under the covers. It took all of a minute for that information to register and I sat bolt upright in bed. Warily I looked around my room and I frowned. I don’t remember coming back upstairs last night, I thought as I peeked under the covers and sighed in relief. The clothes I had changed into the night before still covered my body. I still couldn’t figure out how I had gotten up here, but I knew I had responsibilities waiting for me downstairs. I took a quick shower, changed clothes and went downstairs, peeking in the dinning room on the way. A few guests were seated around the tables eating, talking softly and I waved good morning as I entered and crossed to the kitchen.    I could hear the normal morning noises coming from inside long before I opened the door. However the sight that greeted me wasn’t normal at all. Kevin, Brian, AJ, Nick and Howie along with my sisters were seated at the kitchen table, munching on breakfast and talking as if they’d known each other forever. I stood in the doorway and watched and a slow smile crept up at the corners of my mouth. After everything Kevin and I had been through the last two days, having them in the kitchen really didn’t seem like that big a deal.      I pushed away from the doorjamb and announced my presence. “Save any for me?” I asked as I went to pour a cup of coffee. “Hey good morning sis. Sleep well?” Callie asked as I moved towards my seat. “Yeah. I just have one question though. How did I get upstairs?” I watched as their faces lit up and everyone looked towards Kevin. His cheeks were red and his head was hanging. “Kevin?” He looked up and our gazes met and held. I remembered what it felt like to have his lips on mine and I quickly looked away before anyone could see the beginnings of the blush that was creeping up onto my own cheeks. “You fell asleep on the swing last night, so I carried you upstairs,” he answered. I looked up at him and thanked him before turning my attention to the food before me. Noticing how quiet everyone was, I launched into the day’s schedule and soon everyone was talking.   Breakfast was finished quickly and I excused myself, heading towards my office.                                                      ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~       Hours later, a knock at the office door brought my head up. “Come in,” I called as I waited for the door to open. Kevin pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind him.    I smiled at him and waved to the seat in front of my desk, indicating he should sit, and then turned my attention back to the computer screen. After a moment, I saved my work and turned it off, giving Kevin my full attention.   “What can I do for you?”    “You’re sister’s were telling me that there’s a barn dance tonight at one of the neighbors,” he began, “and I was wondering if you’d let me escort you?”   At first I was a little shocked, but then the thought of spending the evening on his arm flowed over me. I remembered the feel of him pressed against me and I wanted to experience it again, so I answered the in the only way I possibly could. I said yes!   “You will,” he asked, almost as if he didn’t believe I would give him the answer he had wanted. “I mean that’s great. Callie told me that it starts at six, so I guess I’ll come get you around five-thirty or so.”    “Sounds good,” I replied as he stood. “Well, I guess I’ll let you get back to work,” he said, and then headed for the door. “Five-thirty,” he reminded me before slipping out of the room.   As if I would forget he would be coming for me, I thought, as a smiled creased my lips. My mind began to wander to the dance that night, and I wondered how it would feel to dance a two-step in his arms. Just being held within the circle of those strong arms left me feeling giddy and weak, so I knew that dancing with him was sure to leave me breathless. The anticipation that rolled over me left me feeling like a young girl waiting for her first date and I laughed softly. I hadn’t felt this lighthearted in years. I had almost forgot what it was like. It felt good, really good and I found myself wishing the rest of the day would hurry past.      CCC Index                                       Chapter Ten                                     Main Page