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Covering Kendall(32)

By:Julie Brannagh


There was also the consideration that his actions could get her fired, which he didn’t want either.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and surveyed her bedroom floor, which was littered with their clothing. He bent over to snag his stuff, and he heard her sleep-thickened voice.

“That’s quite a view.”

He turned toward her. “I could say the same.”

He saw the flash of her smile, and she pulled up the sheet to her neck. She blushed a little. He returned to the bed, leaned over her, and kissed her forehead. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” she said. They stared at each other. There was so much to say, and he wasn’t sure where to start.

“It’s a little after five. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He saw her frown for a split-second. He could see the moment she told herself to act like it wasn’t a big deal in her face too.

“Sneaking out?”

She was trying to play it cool. He took her cue. His voice was casual.

“Nope. It’s early. I wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye.”

“I wish you didn’t have to leave at all,” she said, and she clapped one hand over her mouth. She shook her head. “Maybe we could chalk that last comment up to still being half-asleep.”

He crawled back into the bed with his phone. “Is it going to be a crisis if you get to the office at nine this morning instead of eight? Maybe we could grab a cup of coffee on the way.”

Sadness flitted over her features before she pasted on another smile. “My meetings start at eight. I can’t do it.”

“Well, then,” he said. He put his phone back on the nightstand and reached out for her. “A hug, and I’ll go get in the shower.”

He smelled her green apple scent one more time and tried to memorize what she felt like in his arms. He rested his cheek against her much softer one. She cuddled against him. He’d hold her for a few more minutes.

The silence grew. He heard the chirp of an incoming text. Judging by the time, it must be a member of his family.

“I don’t know what to say,” she said.

“I don’t, either.”

He gave her one last squeeze, crawled out of bed, and headed toward the shower.

Half an hour later, he was dressed and ready to go. His backpack was over one shoulder. He patted his front pocket; the key fob to his rental car was there along with his phone. He checked for his wallet.

“I had a great time,” he said as they walked to the front door of her house arm-in-arm.

“Me too,” she said. He saw the tell-tale glimmer of rising tears in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something before he kissed her goodbye, and she laid her fingers over his lips. “Don’t say goodbye.”

He kissed her fingertips, and then he kissed her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his waist. They stood in silence as they both fought for something to say besides the usual clichés two people spouted when their feelings went far beyond a casual encounter. She pulled herself out of his arms and opened the front door of her house.

He squeezed her hand one last time as he walked out the door. He heard the click of the door shutting behind him seconds later. He felt it in his gut.

She was gone.



KENDALL WENT THROUGH her morning routine numbly. She dried her hair into a perfect shiny bob that framed her face, applied her makeup, dressed, and made sure she was wearing matching shoes. Her phone was already chirping with incoming texts and e-mails. She rooted through the bag Sydney sent home with her last night; everything was still there. She hadn’t done thirty seconds of the work she was now behind on, and she wasn’t sure how she could BS her way through this morning’s meetings.

She picked up her laptop bag and glanced at her smart phone’s screen before she put it into her handbag. She had an e-mail from Drew.

Kendall, I’ll never forget last night. Since I have your cell number and home address, it’s only fair you have mine. Drew

She clicked on the attachment. A map to his house from Santa Clara, CA, opened on the phone’s screen, and a Google street view of the front of his house.

He’d issued the challenge. It was up to her to accept or decline.



DREW’S TRIP TO Seattle was mostly uneventful. He got searched at the airport for being in San Jose less than twenty-four hours and carrying nothing but a backpack. He was used to this by now. Big dudes with long hair were obviously up to no good. The flight attendant recognized him and offered him a complimentary Bloody Mary. When he politely refused, she made the rounds of the other passengers and returned to him about an hour later. She asked if he’d like something else instead.

“It’s very nice of you to ask, but no, thank you.”