Tori craned her neck to look into the kitchen at Sandra and Kim Ann, studying them as they dutifully washed the dishes. Kevin noticed her interest and commented. "You're NOT doing dishes, Tor. Give it up."
"What?" Tori asked, surprised that he could read her thoughts. "Oh, I was just thinkin' about it - thinkin' that YOU and I could help out."
Kevin smiled widely and emphasized his Southern drawl as he replied. "That thar's women folk's work where ah come frum."
Tori smirked and countered his statement with just as heavy of a hick drawl. "Well, ya'll better git yur ass on back to Kentucky and find yurself a young 'un then, 'cause it don't work like that in the real world."
"Shiiiiiiit," Kevin replied smugly. "I can BUY me a woman if I need one that bad."
"Money can't buy you love," Tori snipped.
"I could always settle for convenience," Kevin replied, hoping to make a point. He didn't like taking jabs at her about her marriage, but it bothered him that everything she did in her life was a battle between her husband and her aspirations.
Tori sighed inside herself, but said nothing. It wasn't the time or place for such a discussion.
Kevin stood up abruptly, uncomfortable by the obvious silence he'd provoked. "Wanna get some air?"
Tori gave him a flat look before turning back toward the kitchen, ignoring his request. She wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.
"Come on," Kevin urged, nudging her chair a little. "It beats the hell outta doin' dishes." He waited, but she still didn't move, so he bent down and whispered in her ear with forced innuendo. "You know you want to," he murmured.
Tori couldn't help but break a smile. "Alright," she agreed reluctantly.
"You're lucky the leaves are changing color -- otherwise you'd be SOL." She stood up and smoothed her pants, trying to appear nonchalant.
Kevin stood and smiled at her for a long while before moving. "Well, I AM a lucky guy," he said as he touched her elbow to move her ahead of him.
"Hmmmf," Tori puffed, trying to hide what she felt had to be an obvious glow brought on by his flattery.
As they strolled through the kitchen, both Kim Ann and Sandra eyed them suspiciously.
"Goin' for a walk," Kevin muttered, unaffected by their curiosity. He didn't feel the need to explain himself to a couple of girls he barely knew.
Once outside, Tori couldn't help but comment. "You KNOW what they're thinking."
"Yeah," Kevin agreed, as he continued up the road. "I know."
Tori stopped, expecting more of a reaction from him, but Kevin kept walking. At the end of the driveway he turned around. "You comin' or what?"
Tori hesitated still, but gave in after a short stare down with him. "It's your reputation, too," she said under her breath as she walked briskly to catch up.
Once out in the road, the crisp autumn breeze greeted them in a burst. Tori shivered and ran her hands up and down her arms to create warmth. "I just remembered why I moved to L.A."
"Oh yeah? You're not foolin' me," Kevin replied. "You moved to L.A. to be with us."
"No," Tori corrected, "I moved to L.A. to be where the action is."
Kevin smiled slightly, but it didn't hide the hurt in his eyes.
"I STAYED in L.A. to be with you guys," Tori added, delighted when Kevin responded with a genuine smile.
About another 30 feet up the road Tori looked down and eyed Kevin as he walked. She couldn't be sure, but it looked to her like he was favoring his left leg a little - limping just a bit.
"You feelin' alright?" she asked with a scowl of concern, still watching his steps.
"Yeah, fine. Just a little stiff. It'll warm up in a sec," said Kevin.
"High school ball war wounds or did you tweak it on something?" Tori pressed.
"I don't know, it could be scar tissue or somethin' -- it gets tighter when it's cold out. I think I mighta just zigged when I shoulda zagged," he answered.
"Well sleeping on that couch probably didn't help any, either," said Tori.
"Why did you sleep on the couch anyway? You could have had one of the smaller guys crash there."
Kevin walked slower, trying to cover up and discredit the ache in his knee so as not to worry Tori. "Well, to be honest, I kinda figured I'd be the only one who would end up sleeping alone, so the couch seemed like the logical place."
Wanting the last word, Tori offered further advice with the voice of a business partner who had a vested interest. "Well, you should take it easy this week and then you should get your knee looked at. You could have meniscus damage or something, and that's not good - especially for a dancer."
Kevin gave her a quick glance that told her, "I know what I'm doing," but she pushed on. "I mean, I don't want to tell you how to take care of your body, but that frame's had a lot of physical activity in its years and the cartilage…"
"I know," interrupted Kev, "it's the first thing to go. I'm sure I'll live," he said, playing down her concern and forcing himself to walk without limping.
They continued walking, enjoying each other's quiet company and the soft shuffle of gravel beneath their feet, until Kevin stopped suddenly and stared off into the distant field.
"Well looky here," he said quietly, not expecting a response.
Tori stopped and shielded her eyes from the bright setting sun, trying to make out the shapes at the far end of the misty field they were approaching. Kevin turned and saw Tori's eyes light up as she spied the majestic figures moving gracefully through the grass. Standing in the field were a half dozen of the most beautiful horses either of them had seen in a long time.
"Horses," Kevin confirmed as he moved toward the fenced-in field. He stopped at the fenceline and took in a big, deep breath. "Ahhhhh…. smells kinda like home," he said. "Come on," he called back to Tori before whistling loudly at the horses.
"Don't whistle, you'll freak 'em out," Tori said with authority. The horses had perked their ears at the first whistle and were staring at the couple curiously.
Kevin laughed softly at Tori's comment and whistled again. This time, one of the horses broke free from the huddle and trotted toward them. The others followed soon after.
"Whoa! I guess you knew the secret call," Tori said as the group drew closer.
"I AM from Kentucky, ya know?" Kevin teased.
"Since when does that make you a horse expert?" asked Tori.
"What do you mean? It's the Horse Capital of the World," he said.
"Kentucky's got nothin' to do with itâ€| you got lucky that they came to a whistle," she argued.
"Well, I'm not sayin' I grew up with my ass in the saddle or anything, but…"
Tori finished his thought. "But they were all around you growing up, right?"
"Yup. Horses, windy forest road…. and churches…. lots of churches." Kevin stared silently at the approaching horses and it was obvious to Tori that his mind and spirit were no longer in Indiana. He was miles away, in the Bluegrass, and the look on his face proved he was homesick and missing his "old Kentucky home." Tori watched as the horses slowed their pace and waltzed up to Kevin who was extending his hand toward the first horse to reach them. The horse moved carefully and eased toward Kevin cautiously, yet with trust. Once close enough, Kevin petted the horse's neck and then grabbed its halter and pulled it toward him.
"Hey, big fella," he said soothingly. "Hey, there." He stroked the horse's dark brown forehead then slowly slid his hand down to its nearly-black nostrils so it could smell his scent. "He's a beaut," said Kevin.
"He's an older guy," said Tori. "And he's the only one with a halter on. Looks like he's the leader."
"How's that?" asked Kevin.
"If they can get him and lead him with the halter, the rest probably follow. Just like they followed him when you whistled for him to come over here. But that halter business is bad news, man," quipped Tori. "I wish people would learn to be careful with their horses," she said as she reached to pet the horse's strong, muscular neck.
"What do you mean?" asked Kevin with a sense of concern.
"You shouldn't leave a halter on a horse that's just grazing in a field. It could get caught on a fence post and strangle or choke itself," she said.
"I didn't know that," admitted Kevin.
"Well why not?" joked Tori. "I thought you were from Kentucky?"
Kevin looked around the field to make sure no one was around to witness them with the horse. He pulled the horse's face down toward his and rubbed his hand on its nose. "He's tame," he said to Tori, and to the horse, as if to convince it to stay gentle and not run off.
"He's well-trained," said Tori. "Quarterhorse."
"How do you know?" asked Kevin.
"I used to have one. His name was Brandy. He was a good horse. But he died while I was away at college. Broke my heart," she said. "I also had an Arabian named Della Rae Star that could run lightning fast. But she dumped me on my head once and I never ran her full speed again." Tori stroked the horse and flipped and tossed his mane as if to comb it straight down. Her mind also wandered to simpler times at home. She missed the scent of fall and of the fields and the evergreen trees.
Kevin let go of the halter, though the animal didn't move from its position on the fence. Kevin ducked under the horse's face to peek at a colt and his mother who were standing a few feet away from the rest of the group. The white blaze on the chestnut-colored colt's face matched that of his mother's. He was sure-footed but still knobby-kneed and overall, still pretty new to the world.
"That little guy looks just like a baby I saw on a ranch back home," said Kevin. "Same coloring, same eyes - he even stands the same way."
"He's not very old, Kev. I'm sure all young horses stand that way," said Tori.
"You know what I mean. He just LOOKS like that baby. He was on a huge, well-to-do ranch just outside Harrodsburg, on the way to Lexington." There was a pause as Kevin thought back to the ranch and wondered if its black wrought iron gates and lush, rolling hills were still as impressive as they were when he was a kid. "Huh. Amazing," Kevin said in awe. Meanwhile, the other horses edged closer and bumped up against Kevin through the fence.
"Hey there, easy now," he said with a louder voice. "I think they're wanting something from us."
"Well, unfortunately we don't have anything to give them," said Tori as she cupped a smaller horse's chin in her hand.
"Well -- maybe we do," said Kev. He moved to the older horse again and gently tugged on the chinstrap of the halter and pulled it down so Tori could reach. He gave one more quick look around.
"We can give them freedom…. and protect our friend here from getting' hurt," he said. Tori looked up at Kevin and bit her bottom lip, deep in thought. She was standing close to the horse and practically up against Kevin's body where she could feel the warmth from both.
"Go ahead. Nobody's lookin,'" said Kevin.
"But he's not ours," she said, unsure of whether to leave well enough alone or do what was right for such a perfectly beautiful animal.
Kevin looked back at the horse's big, brown eyes that blinked approvingly. "It looks like he thinks he's ours…. for the minute, anyway."
Tori looked around cautiously, then grabbed for the halter's buckle with her left hand and forced the loose end of the strap through the buckle bracket with her right. Kevin watched every move of her hands until she struggled to push the strap loose from the cinch.
"Can you get it?" he whispered.
"I can't quite reach," said Tori, "he's too tall." The horse reared and shook his head a little to show he was fidgety about the halter. "Eeeeasy, baby," Kevin said calmly as he tightened his grip and pulled down again, bringing the cinch closer to Tori so she could manipulate it and pry it loose. As Tori reached to pull the spike from the hole in the cinch, Kevin put his hand over hers, attempting to help. With his hands working in concert with hers, a quick, unexpected warmth rushed through him. He glanced at Tori to see if she felt the same, but she was so entranced by the horse and the depth of the moment that she didn't even realize he was touching her. Kevin's eyes smiled as he recognized he had experienced the warmth alone. With a final maneuver they finally loosened the halter. Allowing her to do the honors, Kevin gently slid his hand away from the halter and onto the horse’s neck. Tori pulled the top of the halter down over the horse's ears and off of his chiseled face. The horse remained next to them and stared at Tori - the only movement being a soft wink and flutter of his long, black eyelashes.
"That's better isn't it?" Kevin asked the horse. The horse let out a long sigh and the breath shown in the air surrounding his nostrils.
Kevin stood and said nothing. He didn't want to ruin the moment with words. Tori looked over at him to silently thank him for the gesture. It was another one of those rare and surreal times together.
Tori turned away when the desire in her heart turned from pleasant to painful. She focused again on the horse. She would tell Kevin now. It was the right time.
"Kev…." she started, as Kevin looked down at her face with anticipation. Just then a loud whinny and sudden ruckus of pounding hooves boomed from behind her, cutting her off and startling her. Tori jumped back from the fence, twisting her ankle, losing her balance and falling on the sloped edge of the field's fence line -- scaring the horses away. The horse closest to Kevin's face jerked its head back, forcing Kevin to duck away. The horse bolted and made a mad dash toward the other horses that were running off together. Kev turned around to find Tori lying spread-eagle in the shallow, rocky ditch next to the field's edge.
Kevin doubled over laughing, but managed to compose himself. "Are you okay?" he asked before laughing again. He wasn't sure he should laugh because Tori could have seriously been hurt, but at the same time, seeing her in such a volatile and hilarious position made it hard for him to keep a straight face.
"Aaaauuuggghhhh!!!" Tori exaggerated loudly as she lay on the cold ground, resting from the comical ordeal. She managed to laugh at herself, out of embarrassment, no doubt. Once the initial shock had worn off, she sat up, turned over and stood up slowly, brushing the dirt and gravel dust off her clothes.
Kevin put his hand out and pulled Tori up from the ditch.
"See? They always manage to put me on my head," she growled under her breath.
"I think one of those guys bit one of his buddies or something," said Kevin. "He was just jealous. Wasn't gettin' enough attention," Kevin snickered.
"Well he should wait his turn," Tori replied. "That was just plain RUDE to interrupt me."
Kevin laughed again while replaying her fall over in his mind. He thought her choice of words was interesting. "Rude?" he asked, still laughing.
"Oh, you know what I meant," Tori snapped back at him, realizing the ridiculousness of her statement.
"Bad horse!" Kevin called out to the horses, shaking his finger. "Bad, BAD horse!"
Tori put her hands on her hips and stood staring at him, but in good humor. "Are you done?"
Kevin grinned at her and stopped his taunting. "Yeah, I'm done. Nope, wait…." Kevin turned Tori around and swatted at her behind which was still covered in dust and grass. "Okay, now I'm done."
"Well, so much for that bonding moment, huh?" asked Tori.
"Oh, stop it now. It was nice. They just got a little anxious. Freedom will do that to a guy. See what a gift you gave him?" Kevin and Tori turned around and watched the horses retreat toward the back of the field which was quiet and still once again.
A few seconds of calm had passed when Kevin cleared his throat. "Thank you for letting me go home for a few minutes," said Kevin.
"No," continued Tori, "thank you for letting me go with you. Maybe I'll get to see the real thing someday." An empty silence fell over the two of them as Kevin looked at the ground not knowing what else to say.
"So…. are you okay to walk?" he asked.
Tori rotated her ankle around clockwise then counter-clockwise. "It hurts but I think I can walk," she said. She took a few labored steps before stretching out her ankle again.
"Are you sure?" asked Kevin. "I can carry you. Here, hop on," he said as he stood in front of Tori and motioned for her to jump on his back, piggy-back style.
"I am NOT riding on your back when you have a hurt knee!" she protested. "In fact, I'm not riding on your back ever."
"It's no big deal," he said. "You need to take care of that ankle."
"Dude, your knee is worth a whole helluva lot more than my ankle. Really. I'll walk. It's okay. Just go slow," she urged.
"Let's just go back to the house now," Tori suggested, trying to change the subject. "I want to check up on Nicky and Angela, anyway. Can you imagine if her father came home and caught them alone in her room doing something?"
"Kenneth's not her father," Kevin replied. "He's her foster parent. So is Anne."
"He's her legal guardian. That's all that matters," Tori said. "I don't need a story to stomp out. Not about Nicky. Not now."
"I'm telling you, it's cool, Tor," Kevin reemphasized. "If he didn't do anything last night, he isn't doing anything right now."
"How do you KNOW he didn't do anything last night? Were you there?" Tori demanded. "You don't know what anybody did last night. I guarantee that you were in a coma downstairs while all hell broke loose upstairs."
"Well," Kevin argued. "I WAS asleep until a bumbling Backstreet Boy woke me up as he was going outside…. in the cold…. half naked…. horny and bitter." He savored how Tori's eyes widened in disbelief with each elaboration.
"She shot him down and he still talks to her?" Tori asked.
"Noooooo," Kevin answered, grinning. "He left HER. Do you see where I'm goin' with this?"
"And the other guys are fine with that? How come no one's said anything?" Tori couldn't believe that AJ wouldn't tease Nick about it.
"Because he told them she shot HIM down. I'm the only one who knows different." Kevin walked past Tori and up to the road, waiting for her to follow.
Tori shook her head as she struggled through her steps. "Well, this is a new take on things. Good for him."
Kevin held out his hand to pull her along to keep up. "There's more."
Tori frowned. "What else?"
"She's been through a lot. Her folks died in a car wreck - her parents and her brother." Kevin squeezed Tori's hand before releasing it. "But she's a good kid."
"Brian told me about her folks," said Tori. "But despite that awful tragedy, she's a young woman, Kevin," Tori emphasized. "A young woman with a messed up past, sitting at an important juncture in her life. The last thing she needs is to get hurt emotionally." Tori felt a sudden need to get back to the house quickly and picked up her pace, ignoring her sore ankle.
"Tori!" Kevin called after her. "You can't control everyone around you!" Tori hated it when people used the 'control' word to describe her. When she didn't stop to respond, Kevin hustled after her. He grabbed her shoulder to get her attention. "She's not a nut case. She's emotional, yeah, but she's not unstable. If anything, she's stronger than you, me, and everyone else put together."
Tori's eyes were taking on a harder glaze and her temper was beginning to heat. "I find that one hard to believe, and regardless of whether I can or cannot CONTROL anyone around me, I gotta bad vibe about this. Yeah, Nick's a grown man and ultimately can and WILL do whatever he wants. Do you think I truly believe I have that kid so tightly wrapped around my finger that I can keep him from getting in trouble? I know I don't have that much power or influence. But I do what I can, and you know and I know that this is different than the other times. I think he's in deep this time, and I just don't want them going any farther, that's all. Not here and not now! It's too much pressure for him right now. He's got too much riding on his career and he needs to stay focused. God knows he's got the attention span of a child as it is," Tori shouted.
Kevin took a breath but couldn't get a word in before Tori continued her rant. "God, would it KILL you guys to just cut me some slack this one time and keep it together and professional? Can't you all manage to go through one freakin' event without getting jacked up or falling in love or making some sort of news headline? PLEASE? I want to rest a little, too. Why can't he just WAIT?! If he really likes her, he'll pursue it when this week is over."
"Okay," Kevin agreed. "Okay," he said again, softly, trying to subdue her without sounding condescending. "Now can we please walk back to the house at a normal pace…. and quietly?"
Tori took a deep breath, let it out in a sorry sigh and slowed her pace. "Oh, and one WORD about the horse incident and you're a dead man."
Kevin chuckled. "Now would I do that to you?"
"You most certainly would," Tori replied with a friendly, level tone.
"You know, when they see that dirt on your backside, they're never gonna believe a horse scared you into falling into a ditch." Kevin raised his eyebrows.
Tori tried to bend around to see the back of her pants and dusted them off more. "You KNOW what they'll be thinking," said Tori.
"Yeah," said Kev, as he continued back to the house. "I know."
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