No Means Maybe Please
* * *
She had to tell him herself.
For some reason this bothered Lucy, like she was betraying a trust with him, but she had to do it. To soften the blow she kissed him long and passionately on the living room couch when he got home from his shift, ignoring the fact that Matt and Simon could both see what she was doing.
"Well," Kevin said when she was finished, "that was something."
He smiled that perfect smile that had so melted her heart when he had arrested her for terrorism in the Buffalo airport.
She smiled back.
"Well," she said, "there's something I need to talk to you about."
His expression, wooden, didn't change. God, he was a hunk!
She sat for a moment beside him, steeling herself.
"Kevin, you know I love you more than anything."
His grin broadened.
"And I'd do anything for you."
Broader still.
"But --"
Her voice caught.
"But?" he asked. His tone, as always, carried with it that something, that tone, that made her feel small.
"Well, it's my dad."
"I've heard he's doing better."
Lucy nodded. "Yes, but he's still recovering, and --"
Kevin reached for her, kissed her hard. "What is it?" he asked when at last he allowed the kiss to be broken.
"You know he was going to do the ceremony, but he won't be able to until he's better."
Kevin shrugged, kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry yourself about that, Lucy," he said. "There's that new associate pastor, Chandler is his name, right? He can do it. You don't want to miss your own wedding now, do you?"
She squirmed a bit. Kevin's hands were very strong.
"Kevin," she said. "I want it to be my dad. It has to be."
"Your dad's sick, Lucy. Unless you want to do the wedding in the ICU, we're pretty much stuck with Chandler. Tell you what: we'll have the ceremony videotaped, and he can watch it on the VCR at the hospital."
Lucy drew back. "No. He has to be there. It's always been my dream wedding, Kevin. It has to be him."
A frown rolled across Kevin's face now, just in passing, and she felt his hand tense where it was resting on the back of her neck. It was strong, firm.
"You really want to postpone the ceremony? What about my family? They're hard to get together. Did you think about that?"
"Kevin, I'm sorry. Please. This is important to me."
A moment passed, his hand still strong where it held her neck. Then he relaxed and his smile returned.
"You're going to owe me big, Lucy Camden."
She sighed, relieved. He was so handsome, such a hunk. She leaned forward and kissed him again.
"Thank you," she said, after he finally let her go.
* * *
She had to tell him herself.
For some reason this bothered Lucy, like she was betraying a trust with him, but she had to do it. To soften the blow she kissed him long and passionately on the living room couch when he got home from his shift, ignoring the fact that Matt and Simon could both see what she was doing.
"Well," Kevin said when she was finished, "that was something."
He smiled that perfect smile that had so melted her heart when he had arrested her for terrorism in the Buffalo airport.
She smiled back.
"Well," she said, "there's something I need to talk to you about."
His expression, wooden, didn't change. God, he was a hunk!
She sat for a moment beside him, steeling herself.
"Kevin, you know I love you more than anything."
His grin broadened.
"And I'd do anything for you."
Broader still.
"But --"
Her voice caught.
"But?" he asked. His tone, as always, carried with it that something, that tone, that made her feel small.
"Well, it's my dad."
"I've heard he's doing better."
Lucy nodded. "Yes, but he's still recovering, and --"
Kevin reached for her, kissed her hard. "What is it?" he asked when at last he allowed the kiss to be broken.
"You know he was going to do the ceremony, but he won't be able to until he's better."
Kevin shrugged, kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry yourself about that, Lucy," he said. "There's that new associate pastor, Chandler is his name, right? He can do it. You don't want to miss your own wedding now, do you?"
She squirmed a bit. Kevin's hands were very strong.
"Kevin," she said. "I want it to be my dad. It has to be."
"Your dad's sick, Lucy. Unless you want to do the wedding in the ICU, we're pretty much stuck with Chandler. Tell you what: we'll have the ceremony videotaped, and he can watch it on the VCR at the hospital."
Lucy drew back. "No. He has to be there. It's always been my dream wedding, Kevin. It has to be him."
A frown rolled across Kevin's face now, just in passing, and she felt his hand tense where it was resting on the back of her neck. It was strong, firm.
"You really want to postpone the ceremony? What about my family? They're hard to get together. Did you think about that?"
"Kevin, I'm sorry. Please. This is important to me."
A moment passed, his hand still strong where it held her neck. Then he relaxed and his smile returned.
"You're going to owe me big, Lucy Camden."
She sighed, relieved. He was so handsome, such a hunk. She leaned forward and kissed him again.
"Thank you," she said, after he finally let her go.
