Until Kelly by Vera Quinn
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kelly
I have never been this nervous in my entire life. I have butterflies in my stomach, and I haven’t been able to eat since yesterday. I have been nervous and edgy, and I hate it. I have been biting my thumbnail all day.
Seeing the city limit sign that says Welcome to Comfort has me slowing down. I don’t know if I can do this. My nerve from the other day is zilch today.
I keep telling myself that Trask loves me. I know he does but can he accept my past? It’s a gamble I am willing to take. I just need to get on with it.
I could go look for Trask but decide I need to go home first. Yes, I think of the old house that I live in now as home. I think it’s the first home I have ever felt comfortable in. I pull in the drive and everything looks the same. I park my car, get out, walk up the steps and unlock the door and walk in.
I don’t know what I expected but I can see that Trask has been staying here or has been here, anyway. That’s a good sign. I feel better being here. It’s a relief, a calmness.
I take my bags to the bedroom, leaving them on the bed and come back to the living room. I see a piece of paper on the coffee table. I go and pick it up. It’s a note from Trask. I sit back on the sofa and read it.
Kelly My Love,
I love you and I know you love me.
That’s all that matters in life.
Forget everything else. Put it out of your head.
Take a chance and come on this adventure with me.
Welcome to your Trask scavenger hunt.
Come find me and your reward is a lifetime of love.
First clue is at the diner in town. Ask the waitress.
Hurry, I’m waiting on you.
Your handsome man,
Trask
Tears roll down my cheeks as I reread the note to be sure I am not making a mistake, or I misread something. This man is crazy. He loves me. Really loves me. He doesn’t care about my past. How could anyone not love this man? I get my purse, go back to my car and drive straight to the diner.
I get out of the car and walk inside. I see that Cheryl is the waitress working and I walk up to her. “Trask says to ask the waitress for something.” Cheryl looks me up and down.
“I don’t know how but you have tamed the notorious womanizer. My hat is off to you. All I can say is good luck.” Cheryl hands me a sealed envelope.
“Thank you.” I take the envelope and go to my car and open it.
My Love Kelly,
This is the first place I saw your beautiful face. From the minute our eyes met, I knew you were meant for me. I love you.
Second clue is at Botie and Lyric’s. I’m waiting for you.
Your Sexy Man,
Trask
I remember that day so well. Trask was so full of himself and Cheryl was determined to let me know what a skirt chaser he was. Trask was my first friend when I came out of self-isolation and I have never regretted meeting him. My heart is so full of the memories right now. I start the car and I drive to Botie and Lyric’s place.
The two of them are sitting on their front porch when I arrive. I park my car, get out, and walk up the steps.
“Trask told me to come here.” Botie just smiles but Lyric gets up and walks over to me and hands me another envelope. She pulls me to her and hugs me. I cry for a few minutes and then Lyric steps back.
“Kelly, everyone has a past. When I came here, I went by my middle name and told no one I was running from my family. You are my friend and I love you. I would never judge you for your past. I love the person you are now and to love someone is to accept all of them. Not just the good parts and not just during the good times.” Lyric smiles at me and I know she is being genuine.
“Ditto that and we love you and Trask together. Now go find your man.” I look at Botie and he is smiling. Lyric goes and sits back down with him on the swing. I walk back down the steps and to my car. I open the envelope.
My Love Kelly,
This is the first place that you won over all my friends. The people that count in my life. You were so nervous, but I knew everyone would see you the way I do. Your goodness radiates off you. I love you.
Your third clue is with Nick. I’m waiting for you.
Your love machine,
Trask
I remember that day. I was nervous. I was afraid I wouldn’t fit in with Trask’s friends. I made friends with Haddie and Lyric that day. It was the most fun I have had in so long. I wave at Lyric and Botie before I back out of their drive and head to Nick’s in town.
I park in front of the hardware store and try to catch my breath. I know Trask loves me and I hope I am not dreaming. I hope that my heart doesn’t get shattered at the end of this. I get out of the car and walk inside.
“You could have come to me, little girl, and I would have protected you. None of those big-town hoodlums will be coming to Comfort and doing harm to you. I can promise you that, girlie. I knew you had gumption since you faced off with Skeeter Stillman. That woman is a viper. You just stick with us in this small-town life, we’ll keep you safe. Trask left this for you. That boy has been a bear to be around since you have been gone. You two are good for each other.” Nick gives me his two-cents’ worth and I welcome it. It’s his seal of approval.
“Thank you, Nick,” I tell the aging man.
“No thanks necessary, just giving you my opinion. Now go find that boy and put him out of his misery.” I turn around and leave Nick sitting behind the counter. I walk back to my car and open the envelope.
My Love Kelly,
Nick picked you up and kept you safe for me after my parent’s party. I knew that day that you came first in my life and you always will.
I love you.
Your fourth clue is with Haddie. Come find me.
Your bum diggity,
Trask
I laugh at that, bum diggity. It’s hard to even think right now. This is all too much. I love this man. I clear my eyes of all the tears. It’s hard to see. I take a breath and blow my nose on a Kleenex. I don’t know how I got so lucky. I pull out of the parking spot and drive two streets over to Haddie’s and she is sitting on her front porch waiting on me. I smile and she comes to the gate and meets me. She hugs me to her side, and I hug her back.
“Hon, I have been so worried about you. I was blowing up everyone’s phone trying to get updates. I just want you to know, sweetheart, that you always have a place with me. I know Trask is head over heels in love with you but if he is not what you want, then you just come here and stay with me. I will take care of you, always. No questions asked.” This is what I am guessing most children have when they grow up—unconditional love. This is what my sister had growing up, and it’s what I have always yearned for. I have it now. I feel it down to my toes and love it.
“Thank you, Haddie. I love you, too.” I say the words and this time I feel them.
“I love you, too, hon.” Haddie squeezes me again. We make it back to the porch and Haddie reaches over and gives me an envelope she has sitting on a table. “Trask wants you to have this.” I look at it. “Go ahead and take it. Read it and go get that hunk of burning love that’s waiting on you.” I smile at Haddie. “Go on, get out of here.” I turn and walk back to the car with the envelope in my hand. I get inside and tear the envelope open, tears starting before I ever read the note.
My Love Kelly,
Here at Haddie’s is the day that you left me. I knew then that I could never live without you. My heart was paralyzed with fear and it hasn’t beat right since you have been gone. I love you.
Your next clue is at my secret place. Come find me.
Your dream man,
Trask
I back out of my parking space. I don’t remember the drive to the place that Trask is building his home. I see his truck parked over by the gazebo and that’s where I drive to. I park my car, but I don’t see Trask. There are two rockers sitting in the gazebo.
When I open my door and step out of the car, I see there is a trail of red rose petals leading up to the gazebo. I follow the trail. On the bottom step there is a Post-it note, and I pick it up and read it.
Across Kelly’s nose is a splatter of freckles and she looks like she was kissed by angels.On the next step there is another one. I pick it up.
The smiles that Kelly gives me lights up my world.I pick the one up on the next step.
Kelly’s eyes are the stars in my dreams.I look and the gazebo floor is full of Post-it notes. Each one is sweeter than the last one. I read every one and they all have something that Trask wrote about me. When I am finished reading the notes, I see the letter on one of the rockers and walk up. I pick it up and sit in the chair to make sure I don’t fall.
My Love Kelly,
When I showed you this place, I knew that day you were my everything and that would never change. You are my one. The one woman made just for me. I don’t care about your family or your past. All I care about is the here and now and our future together.
A future that includes these two rocking chairs that I made with my two hands.
When we move into our forever home, these chairs will be on our front porch just like my grandparents had.
We will sit in these chairs, hold hands, and watch the sun set from that porch.
We will rock our children and then our grandchildren to sleep in these chairs.
Then when we are old and gray, we will rock through our twilight years.
This is us, babe. This is what we have. Forever. Just trust in it and we will make it happen.
I can barely make out the last words because the happy tears are rolling so fast. Trask loves me. I look up and Trask is in front of me on bended knee. I didn’t even hear him walk up. I drop the letter.
“I love you, darlin’, and I will be the luckiest man in this world if you will agree to be my wife.” Trask’s voice is deep, and I feel it all the way to my core. The love I see in his eyes takes my breath away.
“You don’t know me, Trask. You only know the stories I told you. You don’t know everything about my past or my family.” I want this with Trask but if it’s going to end, it needs to end now. As much as I will be devastated, if we wait a year or two down the road then I wouldn’t recover.
“Are you ever going to do any of the things that you have done in the past?” Trask asks. He’s looking at me like I am the most precious thing he has ever seen but I know I’m not.
“No, never, I’m not that person anymore. I won’t let myself be. I want to make my sister proud of me even if we can’t ever be together again.” I look at Trask closely, and I can see that he wants this too. I just can’t saddle him with a broken woman. “I’m always going to be an addict even if I never touch another drug. I am always going to have triggers. I am always going to take my recovery one day at a time. I’m stronger now but I’ll never be cured.” Trask moves closer to me and takes my hands.
“I know I can’t do the work for you, but I can work with you. If we are open and honest with each other and keep the lines of communications open, there is nothing that we can’t conquer together,” Trask says sincerely.
“Your family hates me. What if more men come after me?” I try to take my hand out of Trask’s.
“They aren’t too happy with me right now either, but I don’t care. We are our own family. I will protect you with my life. You are safe with me. Do you still love me, Kelly? Love is all that matters, the rest is just details that can be ironed out or we can move off by ourselves.” I know Trask is telling me the truth and my heart swells with more love than I ever thought I could have for someone. “Marry me. We’ll show them all that we are meant to be.”
“Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you so damn much.” Trask takes a ring out of his pocket and slips it on my finger.
“I’ll spend the rest of my life making you happy. I’m a man and I know I will screw it up down the road and piss you off, but I will always make it better and love you through it.” I look at the ring, Not that it makes a difference this isn’t about rings. Trask picks me up bridal style and I laugh for the first time since I left Comfort.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask, not really caring as long as we are together.
“To our bed in our home. I have the bedroom finished, and I set a bed set in there so we could spend our first night engaged in our new home,” Trask tells me.
“Is the house ready?” I ask.
“Nope, but I’ll keep you warm. All we need is a bed.” Trask kisses me and I don’t ask any more questions. All I need is Trask.