Uncomfortable with lying to Francie, Kendall looked for an easy way out.
"James told you what happened, didn't he?"
"He told me what he knows, but you can fill me in on Halloween and the day after, couldn't you? I mean, we were together, right?"
Oh, we were together, alright, Freckles.
"Yeah. Um, let's see, we went to the trunk or treat party at the clubhouse. Nikki, Logan, and Piper were with us."
Francie sipped at her coffee and listened intently, hoping for something to trigger a memory.
"Then, we went back to you your house, put the kids to bed, and watched horror films."
A smile broke across Francie's face. "The Amityville Horror remake, right?"
Kendall stared into Francie's eyes, stunned and scared. Oh no! She's remembering!
James greeted the crew he past, on his way to makeup. He was sad to be wrapping up the film, all the people were great, a real pleasure to work with. Well, almost all of them.
The only thing great and pleasurable about Amber is the fact that I won't be seeing her again. She's out of my life completely.
"Morning, handsome."
James stopped dead in his tracks. He inhaled deeply, cursing himself.
Dammit! I had to go and jinx myself!
James exhaled slowly, trying with all his might to keep his anger at bay. He turned hate-filled eyes on the blonde, rage boiling his blood.
"How was your little getaway? Did it prove...enlightening?" Amber's tone resounded with viciousness. James knew that she was implying the 'relationship' between Francie and Kendall. He chose to ignore it.
"What, in the hell, are you doing here? Your scenes are done."
"I wanted to welcome you back, Jamie, and see if you got my letter. I expected a phone call when you got back in LA."
"Why would I call you?" James sneered at his former fiancée.
"To give me the good news." Amber's smile was hateful. "Is there a date for the wedding, yet?"
James stared blankly at Amber, not allowing his mind to follow where Amber's crazed one was leading.
"You know, for Kendall and Francie? I figured they would have set a date by now."
James spoke through clenched teeth. "Don't you ever say her name, again. Do you understand me? You're not worthy to say her name." James turned to walk away before he lost his cool. "Stay away from me...from us."
"Wow," Amber placed her hand on her hips, "judging by your pissy mood Kendall and Francie must have eloped before you could stop them."
James spun around and backed Amber into the wall, his hands planted next to her shoulders, effectively pinning her in place.
"I said don't ever say her name again." James looked deep into Amber's eyes, his own burning with fury.
"Mmm, such passion, Jamie." Amber's eyes searched James' handsome face. "Angry sex is always good sex."
Disgusted by the thought of sleeping with this horrid woman, and the things she had said and done to Francie, fanned the flames of James' anger. When he spoke, his voice was low, barely audible, and that concerned Amber.
"I would never, ever, sleep with a repulsive, loathsome, and vile creature, such as yourself. Get that through your head."
James' control was gone. He was going to let Amber have what was coming to her, short of an ass kicking. He would allow Nikki that pleasure.
"Do you know what you did with your bullshit story? You upset Kendall. You made my best friend doubt my integrity and the guilt he's carrying around for that is eating at him. You made me question the strength of my relationship with, not only, Kendall, but Francie, too. Making me think that they love each other, still, and were consummating that relationship. You made Francie feel that I betrayed her and our love. She was hurt so badly that she ended up in a hellacious accident. Yeah," James nodded at the doubtful look Amber gave him, "she rolled her SUV, broke her arm, and sustained severe head trauma. Oh yeah, and she lost the baby she was carryng. My baby...our baby!"
Amber's jaw dropped in shock. The crazed, vengeful look in James' eyes made it difficult for Amber to maintain eye contact with her old love. She looked away, but James was having none of that.
Dammit, you will look me in the eye when I tell you this, bitch!
James gripped Amber's chin with one, strong hand. He forced her to face him, with his fingers digging into her delicate skin.
Amber let out a gasp, shocked at the show of aggression from her usually composed and coolheaded former lover, as well as, from the painful and powerful grip James had on her jaw.
"But, here's the kicker, Amber. Your plan didn't work. That ruse you put on, your bogus story of us being together again, you know what that really accomplished? I'll tell you." James leaned in close and whispered harshly into Amber's ear. "Nothing. Not. A. God. Damn. Thing."
James pulled back enough to look Amber in the eyes. "Francie doesn't remember your call. I told her what you did. I told her about your bullshit lie. And you know what?" James gave Amber a sardonic smile, chilling her to the bone. "I'm gonna marry Francie and there's nothing you can do about it."
James released Amber's face but stayed where he was. "You may have succeeded in taking my child, but not Kendall...and definately not Francie."
As tough and enraged as James was tears still found their way into his eyes at the though of his and Francie's child...the child that would never be.
"After I'm done here, my attorney and I are heading to the courthouse to file a restraining order. No emails, no more letters, and no more visits to my house. You won't be able to be anywhere near me."
James stepped away from the speechless woman. "Mazel tov, Amber," sarcasm oozed from James' voice, "you lose."
James turned and continued on to makeup.
Damn, that felt good. See ya never, Amber.
"Y-yeah," Kendall stuttered. "The Amityville remake. You remember?"
Francie shook her head, "No, but that's what I'd pick. I'm a Ryan Reynolds fan."
Thank God! You had me nervous, Freckles
Kendall smiled at her. "Yeah, I know."
"What else happened?" Francie asked, hoping for a flicker of a memory.
A little more relaxed, now that he knew Francie didn't remember, Kendall shared more information. "We all fell asleep in the living room watching movies. Nikki and Logan took the girls home the next morning and you and I hung out at your place."
Still wanting more information, Francie asked, "What did we do?"
Oh...we did plenty, Freckles.
"Well, I went home and got my guitar then I played some new music for you. You even help me with some lyrics. Thanks for that, by the way," Kendall winked at her, pulling a shy smile and a blush from the mother of his child.
He leaned back in his chair and slowly inhaled. Careful not to reveal too much, Kendall shared the harmless high points of the day and night. "We watched some movies, made dinner, played with the dogs, and started a fire. We just kind of," Kendall shrugged, "hung out."
The disappointment on Francie's, usually bright, face broke Kendall's heart. He knew she wasn't recalling the events of their time together. Kendall felt like an ass for being happy about that, but he knew that if Francie remembered, she'd be devastated.
This is for the better, dammit! You can't remember, Fay. You just can't.
There was a knock on the door and a nurse walked in pushing a cart with breathtaking bouquets of flowers crowded onto it. The perfume emanating from the gardenias, roses, lilies, and other fragrant flowers, filled Francie's hospital room. She inhaled deeply drowning in the sweet smell.
"Well, someone is loved." The nurse smiled.
"Are those all for me?!" Francie sat, stunned, as the nurse began to set the flowers around the room.
The nurse smiled at the petite brunette in the hospital bed. "Yep, all of them."
A small smile crept onto Francie's face. James! James did this.
Kendall stood and walked to the first vase of flowers. He plucked the card from the arrangement and carried it to Francie. She opened it and read, aloud, the single word on the card. "Everything."
"Everything? That's all that's on the card?" Kendall placed the second card on Francie's leg.
Francie opened it and read it. "My."
Kendall removed card three, four, and five from the arrangements and handed them to Francie. She opened them up.
"My. My. Love."
Kendall pulled card six, seven, and eight for Francie to open.
"Life. Forever. My."
Francie looked at the cards, face up in her lap, and smiled as she began to put them in order. Kendall looked on with a grin on his face.
James, you romantic, you. Nicely done.
He loves her, so much. She feels the same about him, too. I'm glad for them, truly, I am. I won't stand in the way...I promise that.
"There," Francie sat back and read the message in front of her on the cards. "My love, my life, my everything, my forever."
Francie looked up at Kendall. "James tells me that." She looked down at the cards again, her heart filled with love for James. "He says that I'm his forever."
Kendall smiled at her. He placed a hand on Francie's shoulder and kissed her on the top of her head. "I know you are...and he's yours."
You can't remember what we did, Francie. Please, God, don't let her remember.
"So, how was your trip, Darlin'?" Stacy asked, as James slid into the chair.
"It started out rocky but, things got better."
"Uh-oh! The bimbo didn't ruin things for you and your sweetheart, did she?" James understood the bimbo to be Amber. He grinned at Stacy's choice of words.
James gave Stacy a brief rundown of Amber's attempt to destroy his relationship, convince him that Kendall was after his girl, Francie's accident, and her progress. He left out the information of the miscarriage.
"God," Stacy rolled her blue eyes, "that woman's a true bitch. I know for a fact that wardrobe couldn't stand her."
"Majority of the crew wasn't too fond of her, either."
"How did you ever live with that woman, Darlin'?" Stacy's hands came to rest on her hips as she leaned her behind on the vanity.
"I'm not sure, but I can tell you that I'll never have to deal with her again."
"Well, praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!" Stacy laughed and clapped her hands, James joined in the laughter.
"My ammo is the law, most notably, a restraining order, for our...ahem...friend."
"Hey, ammunition is ammunition." Stacy shrugged. "As long at it keeps the witch at bay."
"I agree. Besides, if that doesn't work, Francie's family is italian."
"Ah-ha, someone could make her disappear...like Hoffa! I love it."
Amber could hear the laughter in makeup. She stood with her arms folded and stewed in her own anger. She was so mad, she had to do something but she didn't know what. Amber made the decision to head to James' trailer.
"Okay, my dear, are you ready for that shower now?" Joan, the middle aged day nurse, lowered the bed and helped Francie sit up. Her mobility returned after the accident but she was a bit unsteady, still.
"Absolutely."
"Do I need to leave?" Kendall leaned forward, ready to exit the room.
"No reason, unless you want to." Joan told Kendall, as she held tightly to her patient.
Kendall settled back into his chair and pulled out his phone to play a game while he waited.
"Okay, you know the drill, right? We need to keep that cast dry so I'll wash your hair and help when you need it."
Francie nodded, "Yep, the other nurse explained the rules when I took my first shower." Francie released the nurse's hand and tried to brush free from the assistance. "I'm good, I've found my legs."
The nurse released her grip but kept her hands ready to grab for Francie if she needed. "You're a hard-headed little thing, aren't you?" Joan smiled at her spunky patient.
"You have no idea," Kendall threw in his two cents.
Francie glanced at him and grinned. "I learned from you."
"Yeah, okay," Kendall chortled.
Francie and Joan disappeared behind the closed door of the bathroom. Kendall heard the shower turn on. He turned his attention back to the game he was playing, trying to occupy his mind with something other than a wet, naked Francie.
A few moments passed before an alarm sounded followed by a calm, stern voice on the intercom. The words sounded like a foreign language to Kendall, he didn't understand the terminology and codes that rang through the room, but Joan did.
She flew out of the bathroom and apologetically said to Kendall, "I'm sorry, but I'm needed. Are you comfortable helping Francie? She's fine with it, she suggested I ask you."
"Uh..." Anxiety hit Kendall in the pit of his stomach.
She's naked...and wet. God is testing me, I know it. Shit!
Knowing that someone needed the nurse more than Francie did, Kendall quickly replied, "Sure. Absolutely." Kendall dropped his phone in the chair he vacated.
"Thank you. Remember, the cast needed to stay as dry as possible. She probably won't let you help with much, but you'll need to wash her hair if I'm not back."
"Got it."
Kendall walked in the bathroom as Joan ran out the door.