Until Kelly by Vera Quinn
Chapter Fourteen
Trask
Besides the occurrence at my parent’s party tonight, everything has been almost perfect. The only thing that would have made it better is if Kelly had shared more about her past with me. I know I am just being impatient, but patience isn’t one of my strong points. I did go online when Kelly wasn’t paying attention and ordered her an electric blanket. My clothes are washed and dried, and I change into them while Kelly is busy in the kitchen. This house is cold in just shorts and I will keep Kelly warm one way or another. The thought of Kelly being here by herself and being cold is driving me nuts. I will be having a long talk with Mrs. Lamb. My woman is going to be taken care if I need to pay to have the furnace fixed and the roof patched. It will happen or I will find us another place for us to live. Yes, I know our relationship is going at warp speed, but I know Kelly is mine. My grandpa always told me that if you find a woman that is it for you, to hold on to her tight because there is only one that is made for you. I know Kelly is the one for me. I have never let myself latch onto a woman or a woman latch onto me the way I have with Kelly and I will give Kelly the time to wrap her mind around that. It is going to happen. I know that as sure as I am breathing.
I’m not sure that Kelly believes in happily ever after right now. I will make her believe with the reassurance of my love every day. I will prove to her that I am committed to her and I am going nowhere. I don’t think Kelly has had a lot of people to care about her in her life. She’s too skittish. If I overpower her with my feelings, she may run. It won’t matter, I will chase her. I will lasso her heart if it is the last thing that I do. I will plant myself in her heart so she can never get me out and then I will make her love me back with all my charm. I won’t give up until she is mine forever. I am going to marry Kelly one day.
“It’s getting late, darlin’. We need to get some rest before tomorrow. You’ll be cooking and I am going to get up on that roof,” I tell Kelly. It’s after one in the morning.
“Alright, but how is this going to work? My bed is full size, so we’ll have plenty of room.” Kelly keeps looking at her hands and not looking at me. This is her tell that she is nervous. I get it now.
“I didn’t come over here to stay the night to get in your panties, darlin’. Not tonight, anyway. We’ll get to a more physical part of our relationship soon but not tonight. Tonight, is about us getting to know each other better.” I take a deep breath and think about what I am going to say. I am trying to be tactful. “I may be wrong, but I don’t think that you have had many healthy relationships in your life. Like I said, I could be wrong, but it doesn’t matter. I know you have a lot of pain in your past from some of the things you have said but mostly by what you don’t say. I want to change that, and I want to change things for me too.” I kiss the top of Kelly’s head as she sits tucked under my arms next to me. “I want to have a healthy relationship with you. I want to share everything with you. I don’t want a one-night stand. I am in this for the long stretch and I want you with me. I want to romance you and hold you. I want you to get to know me as I get to know you. Not just get down to tearing our clothes off and having sex. When you and I do move to our physical part of our relationship, I want to make love to you. I hope that you want these things with me. I want you to know that I not only want you, but I respect you as a woman, my woman. I know I am moving fast, and I will give you all the time you need, no rush, but I want a monogamous relationship with you and then when the time is right, I want you forever.” I feel trembles in Kelly’s body, and I look down at her. She is looking up at me with tears sliding down her face. “Please don’t cry.”
“These are happy tears. I have never had a man be so tender with me. I want those things with you but in my past, I have made mistakes, big mistakes when it came to men. I’m not a virgin and I have had more than a few sexual partners, but they were mistakes and bad judgement. I have never loved a man before.” I smile at Kelly and wipe away her tears.
“I never expected you to be a virgin, Kelly, and I never want to talk about any of your past partners. Just like I never want to discuss mine. We don’t look to our past when we are trying to make a path for our future. Those are words to live by from my grandfather. I took them to heart and live by them every day. Now, please, stop crying. It is breaking my heart,” I tell Kelly in a whisper. “When you are ready to tell me about yourself, then I am here to listen. I can’t fix anything from your past, but I have broad shoulders to lay your burdens on.”
“Trask, I would like to, but it isn’t easy for me to trust people. Some things, I’m not ready to share, and some, I just can’t. Maybe someday but not now. I can just tell you this, the scary parts in life aren’t the things that go bump in the middle of the night. At those times you can turn the lights on, and they will go away. Nope, it’s the monsters that stare you in the face with big smiles on their faces that will stab you in the back when they get the chance and you’re not looking.” Kelly stops and I feel a chill go up my back. “I’ll take the bumps in the middle of the night anytime.” I don’t know what has happened to Kelly in the past but that was before she met me. I won’t let anything touch her now.
“It’s a good thing for you that we live in Texas then and I have a big gun that will kill those monsters. Just call me your own personal monster killer. You are safe with me.” Kelly frowns a little.
“Don’t try fighting my battles for me, Trask. They are too much. I can handle them.” I laugh at that.
“I’m not going to fight your battles for you, darlin’. We’ll battle them together. You and me all the way.” I pull Kelly to me and she lets me. I feel her relax. “Now, let’s get to bed so Santa Claus can bring your presents.” We both laugh. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
“Merry Christmas, Trask.” I pick Kelly up and we make it back to her bedroom.