Chapter Eleven

 

 

 

Kyle was jolted awake the next morning by Kassi jumping on him in bed. “Happy birthday, Daddy!” She hugged his neck and pressed kisses all over his face.

Kelly followed along behind carrying a plate of donuts with a candle on top, singing, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”

Kassi joined in and they finished the song with a, “Cha cha…and many more!”

Grinning, he shook his head. “You two are crazy, you know that? Thank you. Sugar-glazed donuts, breakfast of champions.”

Kelly bumped him with her hip. “Scooch over.”

As he did, he glanced at the clock. “Seven-thirty. Wow. Thanks for letting me sleep in on my special day.”

“You can sleep when you’re dead. We’ve got a full day ahead of us. Kassi wants to go up to the Skydeck of the Willis Tower and they say you need to get there early.”

He reached for a donut. “Ah’ite. People in Chicago still call it the Sears Tower. It’s kinda a sore subject, I guess.”

“Whatever.” Kassi munched a donut. “It’s like a hundred stories tall. I want to look down on the world and see what I can see.”

Kyle smiled at her. “Then we shall do that. They don’t open this early, so we should swing by Millennium Park and see the Bean first.”

Kelly nodded. “Isn’t that by the Art Institute? I’d love to go there.”

Kyle and Kassi exchanged glances then shook their heads. “Not on my birthday. You can go any other time you want. But first I need coffee and a shower.”

“No,” Kassi added. “First you need presents.” She pulled two wrapped packages from behind her back.

“Presents? For me?” He beamed and picked the first one up.

Kassi jostled his arm. “That’s from me.”

He unwrapped it and found a new Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt. “Aw, thank you. I love it. I’ll wear it every weekend.”

“We know, because you wear the old one every weekend now.” Kelly handed over the other gift. “From me.”

“You shouldn’t have.” Opening the package, he discovered a Cowboys cap. “It’s great. Thanks.”

Kassi rose and plucked another donut from the plate. “I saw the coffee pot. I’ll take care of that.” She returned to the kitchen.

“Thank you,” Kyle called after her then looked at Kelly. “When have you ever known me to wear a cap?”

Grinning, she snatched the hat and put it on her own head. She stood and extended the plate to him one last time. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks for the effort.” Shaking his head amusedly, Kyle stuck a second donut in his mouth and headed to the shower.

Once clean, he wrapped a towel around his waist and returned to his room to dress. He jumped when the door opened and Kelly walked in with a cup of coffee. He looked at her incredulously. “Do you mind?”

She smiled and held out the cup. “I knew you’d want this.”

He accepted it grudgingly. “Great. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

Kelly laughed. “Relax, sugar. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” She peered at him from the side, like she was trying to see under the towel.

“I realize that, but I’m not entirely comfortable with you seein’ it now.”

She ran one finger up his biceps and wicked away beads of water. “Pity.” She winked before turning to walk out.

His heart beating rapidly, Kyle followed her to the door and locked it. What the hell was that? She hadn’t been happy when he’d asked for the divorce, and had hounded him relentlessly for reasons why. His lame excuses had never pacified her and she’d eventually gotten angry and given up. He was used to the anger. This new attitude had him utterly confused.

He dressed then met them in the kitchen where he refilled his cup. “Thanks again for the presents, donuts and coffee.”

Kelly held up his keys. “You’re welcome. I had to borrow your truck to run out for donuts. Thank God I spotted a Dunkin’s not too far away. Wouldn’t want to drive in this traffic every day.”

“You get used to it. Not that much different from downtown Dallas.” He snatched the keys away, shoving them in his pocket, then looked at Kassi. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good. I was beat after that plane ride. But now I’m rarin’ to go.”

“Then let’s bounce.” Kyle grabbed his sunglasses off the counter and motioned for them to lead the way.

As Kelly passed by she murmured, “Let’s bounce? How old are you today, twenty-five?”

He smiled sarcastically but didn’t reply.

They climbed into the truck and she continued, “That’s it? No snappy comeback or filthy swear words?”

He maintained his smile through gritted teeth. “Now that wouldn’t be very nice, after you came all this way to see me. But you’re pushin’ it, sweetheart.”

She chuckled. “There’s the Kyle I know.”

They made a full day of sightseeing and shopping. He treated them to lunch at the Grand Lux Café. They ended up at the Navy Pier, where he bought them drinks and they sat out in the beer garden, relaxing and taking in the scenery.

“It’s your birthday, we’re supposed to be treating you,” Kassi insisted.

He smiled at her warmly. “You flew a thousand miles to be here. That’s all I need.”

Kelly made an amused expression. “Then you don’t want the sweatshirt?”

“No, I want that, too.” He grinned. “But seriously, you’ve been here a whole day and haven’t said a word about what’s going on with you. Kass, how’s Riley? How’s your job? I’m sorry the boyfriend didn’t work out.”

She waved a hand. “I told you, it’s no biggie. He just wasn’t who I thought he was. Riley’s fine, other than missing you.”

“He’ll be okay. Just remember, he’s a big dog cooped up in your little apartment all day. He needs to be walked.”

“I do, Daddy. He gets plenty of attention and exercise.”

Kelly commented, “Your apartment isn’t any bigger.”

“No, but I don’t have a Labrador, either.”

“Well, you actually do.”

He shot her a look. “And you have the house where the Labrador grew up. You could take him back, you know.”

“No thank you. It was never my idea to get a dog in the first place, but you two promised to take care of him.”

Kassi rose. “And we have. I’m going to walk down the pier and take some photos. Be right back.”

“Be careful,” her mother called.

“She’ll be fine.” He shook his head and sipped his cocktail.

Kelly leaned back in her chair. “She’s fragile, Kyle.”

“Fragile? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

She tapped her fingers on the tabletop. “She didn’t want me to say anything.”

“Then why are you bringin’ it up?” Setting his glass down, he sighed. His ex-wife was the queen of head games. Some things never change.

“Kassi lost her job. The boyfriend was using cocaine and got her experimenting with it. They did random drug testing at her office and she didn’t pass. The advertising agency fired her. She’s still got her part-time job at the mall, but that’s it.”

He blinked. “That physical trainer guy? Wow. You didn’t think that was somethin’ I needed to know?”

“That’s why I’m telling you. Kassi asked me not to. We argued about it. I told you anyway, so odds are we’re gonna argue again.”

His mind raced as he processed the information. He looked Kelly squarely in the eyes. “Does Kass have a problem?”

“No. She assures me she doesn’t. I’ve been watching her for a few days and I believe her. I think she could have had one if things hadn’t happened the way they did. As long as she stays away from Ross, I feel like she’ll be okay.”

“That’s not very reassuring. How are you gonna see to that?”

“I brought her here, okay? I thought a change of scenery would do her good.”

He thought about it and her meaning became clear. “You want to leave her here.”

Kelly shrugged. “Kassi’s at a crossroads. She needs new friends and a decent job. If you’re serious about staying in Chicago for a while, then this might be a good move for her, too.”

“I plan on staying here, sure, but just yesterday you were razzing me about my parenting skills. You think it’s the best time to leave her in my hands?”

“Like you told me a few weeks ago, she’s an adult. It shouldn’t be that hard, right?”

“Ooh.” He pounded back the rest of his drink then slammed his glass on the table. “I really hate it when you do that. If she’s got problems then we need to deal with them together, as a family. Not just me. Not just you.”

Kelly reached out and covered his hand with one of her own. “I was hoping you’d say that. We’ll get through this together. Here she comes. Don’t say anything tonight, okay? Let’s enjoy the cruise and the rest of your birthday. We can bring it up tomorrow.”

He didn’t want to wait but agreed to keep the peace for at least one more night. They’d spent an enjoyable day with very little bickering. That’ll end soon enough. It always did.

He looked at Kassi as she took her seat. “Hey, kiddo. Get some good photos?”

“Yes. There’s so much to see. The cruise is going to be great.”

“I’m glad you’re havin’ a good time.”

“Seeing you again is the best.” She smiled and her eyes crinkled.

Kyle smiled back. He felt bad knowing what his beautiful girl was going through, and wanted to be able to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. They just had to get through the night.

The cruise was enjoyable in the cool evening air. They had a few more drinks and Kyle was glad he’d taken his truck home earlier and gotten an Uber for the night. He didn’t feel so bad about imbibing, which was good, because he definitely felt like drinking.

It was dark and he was tipsy when the driver deposited them at his place.

“Thanks again.” Kassi hugged him. “What a great day. Another fourteen thousand steps. I’ll sleep good again tonight.”

“I hope so. Night, sugar.” He patted her back and watched her go.

Kelly brought out the Scotch and two glasses. “One more before bed?”

He scratched his chin. “I shouldn’t.”

She poured anyway. “Why the hell not? You only turn forty-five once.”

Grinning, he picked up his glass. “Ah’ite. One more.”

They started talking and an hour later they’d nearly polished off the bottle.

Kyle scrubbed both hands over his face. “I’ve gotta get to bed.”

Kelly leaned back into the sofa. “Go ahead. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” He stayed seated. “Where was I goin’?”

She leaned into him. “You said something about bed.”

“Oh, yeah. I did. Goodnight.” He remained where he was.

She bumped shoulders with him. “Need some help?”

“No. I’m goin’.”

Kelly rested her head on his shoulder and gazed up at him. “I don’t mind helping. It’s been a while since I tucked you in.” She ran a hand down his back.

“Nah, I’m ah’ite.” He chuckled and made it to his feet. Wagging a finger at her he mumbled, “You’re trouble.” He glanced at her long legs and added, “Trouble on sticks.”

Laughing, Kelly stood with him. “Don’t you mean ‘sex on a stick’?”

“No. I definitely don’t mean that. Goodnight.”

“Night, sugar,” she called softly.

He stumbled to his room and dropped onto the bed. Patting his pocket for the phone, he pulled it out and scrolled through the notifications. Several birthday greetings, including one from Alex, who had texted a couple of times. The first was to wish him happy birthday and the second was later, asking about their day. Have to answer Alex tomorrow.

Alex. The mere thought made him smile. He struggled out of his clothes and drew the sheet over his boxer-clad body. He slipped his hand under the waistband and he fondled his semi-erect cock. If he really wanted to he could rouse it, thinking about Alex. The lure of sleep was greater at that moment so he withdrew his hand and closed his eyes.

He dreamed about Alex, and sensual kisses leading to some really hot sex. When he opened his eyes there was a warm body in his bed, kissing him and rubbing his now-raging hard-on. Kyle’s mind was fuzzy and he tried to differentiate fact from fiction. There was definitely someone in his bed, and, judging from her soft skin and full breasts, it wasn’t Alex.

“What are you doin’?” He pressed Kelly’s shoulders away.

“Mmm, don’t stop.” She ground their hips together and kissed him again.

He pushed more forcefully this time. “I never started. Kelly, quit. This is crazy. You need to go, now.”

“Why?” She kissed him again. “We’re two unattached, consenting adults. Lots of divorced couples have sex. Makes it more exciting.”

Her lips were fleshy and familiar. It would have been so easy to close his eyes and fall back into a comfortable rhythm, except for one thing. Alex. He had no interest in Kelly, and hadn’t for several years. Despite what his body was saying, her kisses confirmed his thoughts. He only had eyes for Alex. “I’m sorry, but this isn’t happening.” He rolled her off him and sat up, grabbing the sheet to cover himself.

“What’s wrong, sugar? You were into it. A woman can tell these things.”

He gazed at her levelly. “You caught me off guard. Of course I was into it, who wouldn’t be? You’re a beautiful, sexy woman. But I’m not unattached, Kel. I’m seeing someone. And I won’t do this, even with you.”

Her eyes flashed. “Who? Tell me. Is it Cinda?”

He rubbed his face. “Fuck no, it’s not Cinda. It’s no one you know, so don’t worry about it. Just understand that this can’t happen again while you’re here. I mean it, Kel. You got that?”

She stood in all her naked glory, perky tits bobbing in the moonlight. “You’re absolutely sure? No one would have to know. We could keep it between you and me…so to speak.” She smiled seductively.

He shook his head. “I’d know. Not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but I can’t. Not now, and probably not ever.”

“Well, that’s harsh.” She picked up her robe and wrapped it around her body.

Kyle set his jaw. “Sorry. Get some sleep, and we’ll pretend this never happened.”

Kelly added a wiggle to her hips as she walked away. Pausing to glance over her shoulder, she said, “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“I think I remember. But thanks.”

She frowned and left.

Kyle followed her, locked the door, then flopped back into bed. Oh my God. His mind raced at what had just happened, but thinking too hard made him nauseated and the room was spinning. Tomorrow. He’d sort it all out tomorrow. He closed his eyes and wished for sleep.

 

* * * *

 

Alex looked at his phone Sunday morning. Kyle hadn’t responded to his texts. Disappointment threatened to make him melancholy but he knew that was ridiculous. Kyle was spending time with his family, which was good and important. He was a big enough man to get that. He was also slightly jealous, as he’d just started feeling like he might be important to Kyle, too.

Shake it off. He did laundry and some house cleaning, then ventured over to Eddie’s shop in the afternoon. Colt Crawford was in the chair and Alex grinned. “Hey, buddy. Eighty-nine?”

“Eighty-nine and ninety.” He nodded with a smile. “Quotation marks.”

“Ah, that barely counts! So if I get a word done, each letter counts separately?”

“No,” Eddie muttered gruffly, “but this counts as two. So shut up. Come back for your ‘fuck you’?”

Alex leafed through a book without much enthusiasm. “Eh, I dunno. Not so keen on that one anymore.”

Eddie looked at him over the top of his glasses. “Told you. For some tattoos, a waiting period is a good idea.”

“I’ll admit it. You’re full of good ideas, Eddie.”

“Where’s that man of yours?” Colt winced as the needle resumed.

“His ex-wife and daughter came into town to surprise him for his birthday. They’re spending the weekend together.”

Mel came out from around the corner. “And you weren’t invited?”

He shook his head. “He’s not out.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah, it does.”

Eddie glanced up. “So you came here to drown your sorrows with a new tattoo?”

“Maybe I came here to spend time with my friends, ever think of that?”

“No.” Mel handed him a couple of photos. “I’ve been working on my heart tattoo. Did two more this week.”

“Nice. This one is cool with the added vines.” He gave the pictures back. “I could use another heart. You up for it?”

“Yes!” She glanced at Eddie. “Okay with you?”

“If it’s okay with him. Do the outline and let me check it before you start.”

She patted the chair in the second work station. “Sit. I’ll get everything ready.”

He did as instructed and continued talking to Colt. “How’s Dakota?”

“Intense, and very serious about his causes. Into more things than I can count on two hands. He’s all about saving water and recycling and that stuff. Which is fine, great even, but oh my God, if I leave the water running for ten seconds while I’m brushing my teeth I hear about it.”

“Squanderer,” Alex teased.

“No shit. Who needs the guilt?”

“So probably not a keeper.”

“Probably not. How about you? Is Kyle a keeper?”

Alex thought about it. “Depends who you ask, I guess. I’d like to think so, but his father was a homophobic prick and old habits die hard. He’s got a mental clusterfuck to unravel before he can move forward.”

“Which explains why he’s not out.” Colt nodded. “I don’t get parents like that. I guess we were lucky.”

Mel didn’t look up from Alex’s arm. “Or your deadbeat old man could have died before he had the chance to find out.”

Alex groaned. “We get it, your dad was an asshole. But you had a great mom and she never had a problem with Sam, right?”

Mel grinned. “Right. We don’t officially know that dad was an asshat, but he left us when we were little so that probably qualifies.”

“Indeed,” Eddie chimed in. “If I had a kid I would never have abandoned him, gay or straight. Aw, hell, I may have some out there that I don’t know about. The seventies were such a blur.”

They chuckled and the tattooing continued.

Alex left, happy with the heart and vines Mel had given him. When he checked his phone, he saw that Kyle had replied to his texts.

 

Had a great day, thanks. Family drama at the end, but we’ll get through it.

 

Sorry. Anything I can do?

 

No, but appreciate the offer. How’s your weekend?

 

Quiet. Sad. Pathetic. Got a new tat.

 

WTF?

 

Nothing major, just a small heart.

 

Good God. You’re addicted.

 

You think? Tell me something I don’t know.

 

I think I may be addicted to you.

 

I did not know that.

 

Have a good day.

 

He’d added a smiley face emoticon. Kyle never texted with emoticons. Alex grinned. Maybe it wasn’t such a pathetic day after all.

 

* * * *

 

Kyle shoved his phone in his back pocket and rejoined the women in the living room. They’d been whispering animatedly but stopped when he entered. “What’s goin’ on?”

Kelly looked at their daughter. “Kass has something to tell you.”

“Mom!”

“Kassi, he’s going to find out sooner or later. It’s better to admit the truth now so we can get past it and move on.”

Kassi turned to him. “She’s just dying for me to tell you that I lost my job at the advertising agency. I did something stupid and got caught.”

He stared at her levelly. “What did you do?”

She swallowed. “Failed a random drug test.”

Kyle inhaled and blew the breath out, forcing himself to stay calm. He’d thought he would be prepared to discuss it, but when she admitted it so casually he was suddenly riled up again. “What kind of drugs?”

“Hmm?”

“I said, what kind of drugs were you usin’, and are you still usin’ them?”

“Just some coke, and no, I’m not.”

“Cocaine is not a ‘just’ kind of drug. It’s mind-alterin’, addictin’, and it’s a felony if you get caught with it. I understand your employers’ reaction. I’d do the same thing if it was one of my employees.”

She rolled her eyes. “It was a one-time thing, Daddy.”

“You’re still actin’ like it was no big deal but I assure you, young lady, it’s a very big deal. Look where this ‘one-time thing’ got you. You lost the only decent job you’ve had since you quit college mid-stream. Now you’re, what, a perfume sniper at the mall?”

“Cosmetics sales associate,” she said with a straight face.

He stared at her and finally shook his head. “So that’s your dream job? Happy with that, are you?”

“Lots of people work retail, Daddy.”

“True, and lots of people never make more than ten or fifteen dollars an hour. If that’s fine with you then no problem. But don’t ask for help when the car breaks down or your rent goes up because your mom and I are workin’ our asses off for what we have.”

“That’s harsh,” Kelly commented.

He waved a hand. “Ah’ite. Ask your mom, then, when those things happen. I’m sorry if you both think I’m being harsh, but this is life, ladies. My problem with this is that I know how smart you are, Kass. You could be anythin’ you set your mind to. You had a free ride to college. No student loans, nothing to pay back. You still have that available to you, as long as you stay in school and keep your grades up.”

“You and Mom agreed that college isn’t for everybody.”

“We did, when you were hired on at the agency and had a good job with opportunity for advancement. You blew that right out your nose, didn’t you?”

“Kyle!” Kelly frowned.

“What?” he snapped. “You wanted me to talk to her. You think I’m being too honest? I don’t. I think the young lady needs a dose of reality. But hey, if you’re okay with the perfume sniper job then you two can just hop on the next flight back to Dallas and I’ll stay out of it.”

“That’s not what I meant.” She folded her arms across her chest.

“You know what’s more concerning to me? The drug use. That’s got to stop, and I mean right this minute.”

Kassi scowled. “I told you it was a one-time thing.”

“You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t believe every word that’s comin’ out of your mouth right now.”

“That’s unfair!”

“Which is exactly what drugs do. They cause people to lose trust in you. That trust has to be earned back. You can start right now by promisin’ you’ll never touch that shit again. Then get busy tryin’ to find a better job. You got any leads?”

“Not yet.”

Kelly spoke up. “Did you give any thought to staying here and living with your dad?”

Kassi glanced at her nervously. “I wasn’t sure that was really an option.”

Kyle’s mind raced. He didn’t have many options. He’d have to make it work. He cleared his throat. “We can talk about it. You’ll need a job, though. I’ll pay for college and you’ll have a place to live, but you’d have to do your part.”

She nodded eagerly. “I’m sure I can find something.”

Kelly smiled. “So we’ll stay this week and I’ll help her job hunt and check into college.”

He gazed at his ex-wife coolly. “You don’t need to get back to work?”

“I have some time coming. I’d like to stay a while longer. I’m sure I can make myself useful.” She crinkled her nose at him.

Kyle looked away and rubbed his chin. He glanced around the small apartment. “This’ll be close quarters with three of us here for a week. I work long hours. You two will have to promise to get along and behave yourselves.”

Kassi jumped up and hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy!”

He shot Kelly a pointed look over his daughter’s shoulder. “Ah’ite.”

She smiled at him seductively. “No promises,” she mouthed.

Kyle closed his eyes. Trouble was brewing, he could just feel it. And Kelly was holding the spoon, fixin’ to stir the pot.