Until Kelly by Vera Quinn

Chapter Thirteen

Kelly

Spending the evening with Trask is nothing like I thought it would be. I thought all his sweet words would change when we got back to my home, but I was wrong… so wrong. Trask has been nothing but a complete gentleman.

I put us together a fast dinner with the leftovers I had in my refrigerator. It was nothing like what we would have had at the dinner party his parents put on, but we were a lot more relaxed. We shared it in front of a warm fire that Trask got going in the fireplace. He’s much better at building a fire than I am. He looked at my furnace while he was waiting for me to finish with our dinner.

I found out that Trask is no better at working on furnaces than I am. He banged on it with a hammer. It didn’t respond. I laughed at him when he said the damn thing was older than he was, and we need to call a removal company instead of a repair man. It wasn’t so much the words he said but how he looked when he said them.

I am enjoying having someone else in my space. When Trask starts looking around at the walls, I become uncomfortable. I can’t put family pictures up or pictures of the few places I have seen so I am guessing he thinks my house is cold with no memories to be had. I feel that way a lot. I become uptight and nervous so I show Trask to my laundry room so he could put his gym clothes into the wash.

Dinner went smoothly and we are sitting under a throw and watching a movie. “Your home is nice, but you need to stay on Mrs. Lamb about getting it fixed up. Texas has mild winters most of the time but occasionally, the electricity goes out when it storms, or we’ll get the occasional snow. I hate to think of you here without all the things you need,” Trask tells me subtly. I know he is right, but I don’t want to give Mrs. Lamb a reason not to like me.

“I haven’t done much with this place to tell you the truth. I bet you think it’s weird with no pictures or anything. The few things that are up were here when I arrived. I do keep it tidy though.” Trask smiles at me.

“Different strokes for different folks. I thought it was refreshing and not overly decorated. You could be a minimalist in your living or decorating style. Some people don’t keep mementos on display in their home, they keep those memories in their heads and hearts. They don’t think that a picture or something material can capture the moment in time. I can understand that. I bet you wouldn’t guess that I jot down notes about things I want to remember.” I look at Trask closely to be sure he isn’t joking or making fun of me, but he seems sincere.

“You do? Like what?” I ask without thinking. I’m curious about what Trask would write down.

“Different things. I put them on pieces of papers or Post-it notes. The things I don’t want to forget. I put the notes in a box, and I keep the boxes with the year written on them. I probably have at least twenty boxes stacked in my bedroom closet at home. I started it in middle school. When everyone else was journaling, I was keeping notes and still do, to this day,” Trask shares with me.

“What made you start doing it?” I ask, curious of what could make a man stop and write small notes all over the place. It seems odd to me. I’ve never known a man like Trask. I have known that fact but something this small drives that message home.

“When I was in middle school, one of my English teachers had us do a journal one school year. I was always forgetting to write in it so I started writing notes so I could go back and put them in the journal. It stuck with me. Now it’s more a habit than anything, but I like to go back and read them. They show when I am making progress with something or goals I set. Funny things that make me laugh or notes to make me remember something about someone. Like the day I met you and my thoughts of how beautiful you were at that moment.” Trask’s words cause butterflies in my stomach. I don’t know what is happening to me. I’m not the kind of girl who falls for pretty words. I wasn’t that kind of girl. I know I need to keep my walls up to protect myself, but Trask is working his way into my heart. I have never been this woman, but I have decided to change my old habits. I have to say that I want to believe what Trask is telling me. I want this. I think I deserve it. Don’t all women deserve a man that cares for them? The old me would have shut Trask down and sent him on his way. One, because the type of men I knew would never give me these sweet words and two, because if they did, they would have an agenda. Trask has no agenda. He’s trying to share himself with me. Why do I have these thoughts? Why can’t I just enjoy this? I take a breath. I need to relax and be a normal person for once. I need to channel my inner Kim and enjoy Trask while I have him. I can do this.

“Is that all you have written down about me?” I ask softly.

“No. I have written something about you every day since I have met you. Even the days that I haven’t seen or talked to you. I wrote how much I missed you. I am worse than a lovesick puppy over you and tonight is the best Christmas Eve I have ever had because I am spending it with you.” I don’t know how much more of his tenderness I can take without crying and I am no crier. I’ve never been handled with so much care. I think I can tell Trask almost everything.

“This is the best Christmas Eve I’ve had because it is the first one I have celebrated with someone I care about in a long time. I don’t normally celebrate any holidays. They’re just another day but I decided this year I was going to make a change. I am so happy that you are that person,” I tell Trask.

“Me too, darlin’, me too. I am one lucky man. This is one of many to come. From now on, we celebrate together.” I want to believe those words, but I know I am living on borrowed time. I could be moved again. I could be called to testify, or I could be found by the people that want me dead. No, I can’t think this way. I want to enjoy Trask. I’ve fallen in love with Trask and right now, in this moment, I would rather die than not enjoy every minute I have with him. I’ll find a way to make this work.

“One of many to come. I like that.” I snuggle in closer to Trask. Yes, I’m going to enjoy every second of this.