Kira knew that no one should be home for a while yet. The kids still had another half an hour and Jo would be bringing them home for their last day of the school year. She promised the kids that they could all go to the swimming hole and have a picnic tomorrow as a celebration for their first day off from school. Kira was in the barn to check on the old biddy that she had that had been ailing. In actuality, she should have been butchered years ago since she'd long-since stopped laying eggs but there had been something about the old biddy that Kira saw herself in.
She'd had a difficult start in life, having been stuck in the egg when she was hatching and Jebb had had to help to slowly pull the shell away from her. Then she'd been picked on by many of the other hens in its younger years. Even had to be given her own roosting area with the guineas away from the chickens at times. She'd been egg-bound and had to have help with that more than a few times. She'd suffered from one ailment to another, but she just wouldn't be kept down for long. Still, the old hen certainly looked as if she'd seen better days.
Once she'd checked on the hen Kira reluctantly used her white cane to help her find her way around in the barn since there were more things that she could trip over in the barn then there usually were in the house. Especially since the family had all impressed upon the children how important it was to make sure that they kept their toys put away when they weren't using them after her accident. And when they may forget, it seemed that Jebb or one of the other adults in the family were quick to tidy up the house before she could even worry about a possible trip hazard. Once she got to the stall that didn't hold any animals, she made her way in and rested her hand on a tarp, one that covered her motorcycle after it had been put away for storage, for a few moments. After months of her vision not getting better she knew that the likelihood of it changing for the better was slim at best. That meant that she wouldn't be riding her racing bike again.
She knew she should be grateful that she escaped her attack with her life but that didn't make her miss various aspects of her life any less. Especially since she had so much of her memories leading up to her attack wiped out along with the actual attack. So, she went to bed one night and essentially woke up to a new host of physical ailments and conditions and learned that she and Jebb had endured a horrible patch in their relationship that she hadn't thought possible thanks to his own bout of a loss of memory. Still, Kira couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for that which she'd lost. A sense of freedom being among the things that she'd not expect to regain again.
With a shake of the head to try to clear her thoughts of the melancholy, Kira smoothed the tarp down just a bit before she made her way back out of the stall and then carefully made her way out of the barn, stumbling only a couple of times. The kids would be home soon and she wanted to make sure that the kids would all have a happy celebration of their last after school snack of the school year. Faith and Jimmy would be with the kids, too. They would be full of energy with the excitement of their last day of school still running high. Kira figured that she'd best start getting their snacks together. When she stepped out of the barn she was surprised that the truck was back in the farmyard, letting her know that Jebb was home instead of out in the fields. Confused, she went in and found him already in the kitchen rummaging around. When Kira asked him why he was home he shrugged with a sly smile.
"You didn't think I'd miss the last day of school, did you? Even I can still remember how exciting the last day of school can be when you are kid. I wouldn't miss the little after school party for anything."
Kira chuckled a little as Jebb turned back and continued looking through the cabinets. "Made.. cookies.. earlier."
Jebb turned and saw that Kira was pulling over the cookie jar from its place on the counter beside the refrigerator. He'd had the last cookie last night before bed, so he hadn't thought to look there for snacks for the children. He hadn't thought about his wife making a new batch when she'd been home alone all day. He still didn't like the idea of her using the oven at all; much less alone.
"Two.. kinds."
Jebb bit his tongue since he knew that she would do what she wanted anyway. He looked into the cookie jar and saw that there was chocolate chip as well as sugar cookies. Jebb snickered, "The kids are lucky. I would have mixed the chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal raisin, instead."
"You.. would.. have.. too." Kira shook her head since she had no doubt that Jebb would have loved watching the kids bite into the flavor that they hadn't expected. "But most.. like these.. better.. than.. oatmeal."
"What about me? I like oatmeal raisin?" Jebb acted hurt as he started to pull some cups down from the cupboard to have them ready for the kids once they arrive.
"Next.. batch," Kira promised as she rolled her eyes.
Jebb glanced over at Kira and saw that she was asleep. She rarely had trouble falling asleep, now. He figured that she was still fighting the fatigue that she had when she first returned home from the hospital. She just didn't want to show it now that she he'd been home more than six months. He suspected that her pride kept her moving long after her body begged for rest. He quietly got up and headed back to the living room so that he wouldn't disturb Kira, interrupting her much needed sleep.
Over the course of the last few months Jebb had taken to watching some of the videos that both the family had recorded over the years but also, and maybe most especially, the videos that had been recorded by various friends when he and Kira were younger. Seeing her younger self helped Jebb connect with his wife and see why he'd found her so fascinating to prod him to pursue her. The videos of the various races showed a side of Kira that he'd not gotten to really see much of before she was attacked last year. He knew that she missed that side of herself, too.
He'd seen Kira in the barn through the gaps of the wood slats that made up the wall of the barn earlier when he'd gotten home from the field. Jebb watched on as she seemed to be wishing for a day that she could once more set out on her bike and enjoy the freedom that it once gave her. He hadn't wanted her to know that he'd seen her, so he'd headed inside before he was seen but he saw enough. He just had to figure out what he could do about it.
He had regained much of what he'd lost after his accident the year before, but he knew that Kira likely wouldn't gain anything more than she already has. Watching her come to terms with that wasn't easy. He even had watched on as she steered her clients from over the years to other lawyers in the area. He knew that her difficulty in speaking had been a big catalyst for that. She no longer felt as if she could take a case to court. Jurors wouldn't have the patience to wait for her to put her thoughts together. That would put any client at a disadvantage, and she wouldn't be able to live with herself if her health convicted an innocent man of any charge.
Jebb looked back to the television where he saw that he'd won some long-forgotten race, but Kira had come in a very close second. By their age, it looked as if they were still in their early twenties. On screen Kira congratulated him on his win with a kiss that caused some catcalls from some of their friends. He turned the tape off since he knew it was getting late. He headed back to bed and laid down beside his wife as he kept trying to think of some way to help her adapt to her now not-so-new way of life. He turned on his side and watched as Kira slept for a while before he finally allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
Perhaps inspiration would find him in his slumber.
Kira glanced around the house with a trained eye, knowing that if the slightest item was out of place her mother-in-law would find it; even if she may not say anything now due to her condition. Still, she wanted to make sure that her home was in order when her children's grandparents came to spend some time with them now that they had been out of school for a few weeks. They would be staying for two weeks this time. She knew that the children would enjoy their time with the elder Dukes and Jebb always cherished his time with his parents.
The couple weren't due to come in until the afternoon while the boys were in town with the men for their Saturday morning at the garage. Crystal was over at Luke's playing with Faith. That gave Kira the morning to get the guest room and the house all in order for the visit. Now that it was, she sat down on the couch thankful that no one else was around to see how exhausted she was after her morning of preparations.
Jebb and the boys would be back soon for lunch, but she needed a few moments to herself before she started getting the meal together. Sadly, it didn't look like she'd get it since she heard the truck pulling up outside. Preparing herself for the task at hand, she stood back up and carefully moved toward the kitchen to start putting together the family's lunch. But when Jebb came in through the kitchen door he appeared to be alone.
"Where's.. the.. boys?"
Jebb grinned and walked over to Kira. He'd bought a surprise and had snuck it home on the back of the truck. He'd unloaded it before he came in. "They are staying with their fun uncles for a while. I asked them to watch them until about an hour before my parents are due in, later on."
Kira's brow furled in confusion. "Why?"
"You'll see." Jebb chuckled as he stepped behind her and then put his hands over her eyes. "It's a surprise." He then led Kira out the door and guided her down the back steps before heading out into the yard. When he figured that they were in the perfect place he asked if she was ready, removing his hands when Kira nodded. "Alright, what do you think?"
Kira saw in front of her a new motorcycle. "I.. don't.. get it."
"Well, I know that you've been missing riding your racing bike. This one is meant for riding around town, and it has one feature that the racers don't." Jebb walked over picked his helmet up where he'd placed it on his seat and slapped the back of the bike as he spoke, "This one is designed for two people to ride around on. So you and I can go for a ride together when you want." Jebb put on his helmet and picked up Kira's before he straddled the motorcycle and reached out a hand toward Kira to join him. "Come on. We have a few hours before we need to be back."
Kira glanced back at the house briefly before she reached out for Jebb's hand. He took hers and guided her toward him and the back of the bike before handing her her own helmet. Kira put it on then wrapped her arms around Jebb as he set out of the farmyard. Kira closed her eyes just as she still had to do when she was riding in the car or truck, but she did enjoy the feel of the wind whipping around her; even if it was blocked a bit by Jebb sitting in front of her.
She felt as Jebb leaned into the curves, so she leaned with him. She didn't need to see the gauges to know that they were riding just a bit faster than the local speed limit would allow. She lost track of time as the pair road the back roads of the county. When Jebb pulled the motorcycle to a stop Kira was surprised to find that he hadn't taken them back home. Instead, he'd taken them to the cave that had always been their place when they wanted to spend some time away from farm. She must have told him about this secret haven on the farm after he had his accident when she had apparently tried to trigger his memory.
The two got off of the bike as Jebb asked, "So, what did you think? I know that it isn't same as racing around, one upping one another along the way, but I think I like it this way, better." Kira gave Jebb a look that clearly told him that she didn't believe it, so he added with a sly grin, "I enjoy knowing that you have to hold on tight as we take the curves."
Kira wanted to tell him how much she appreciated the thoughtfulness of Jebb's finding a way for her to get back out on a bike, even if she wasn't the one in control of it but knew that her words would fail her. Instead, she decided to reach up and gave Jebb a long and slow kiss to say the words that she'd only stumble over. It was a level of intimacy that they'd rarely shared since her attack, and she'd done so on an impulse.
He pulled her close and returned the kiss and felt as if he was kissing her for the first time. In a sense, he supposed that he was. When he first had his accident, he couldn't remember her and she'd done her best to give him the space that he needed. Then after leaving Hazzard and then returning for Jay's race only for Kira to be attacked a few days later, it hadn't exactly allowed for much time to get close in an intimate way. They slept in the same bed now but that wasn't the same. He prolonged the kiss for several moments until he felt that Kira needed to pull back for air. He then smiled as he rested his forehead on hers for a moment to absorb the intimate moment that the two were sharing.
He then placed an arm around Kira to help guide her inside the cave so that she wouldn't stumble. As the two walked further into the cave she saw where Jebb must have come to set up a picnic lunch before he'd come home to pick her up. A basket was off to the side of a blanket that was all laid out with lanterns lighting the small cave.
"What's.. this?"
"Figured that we might want to have a bite while we're out."
Jebb helped Kira find a place to sit as he then dug around into the basket and pulled out soup and what looked like Jell-O he'd gotten from the diner and set it down on the checkered placemat that he'd packed along with the food. He set it out without drawing attention to it since it was commonplace now to have a mat like it during meals. It was clear that he'd thought about what she could have without having a food processor nearby to puree the food.
"Glad.. you showed.. up.. before.. I.. started.. lunch." Kira leaned onto the cave wall and smiled at the thoughtfulness that Jebb had put into their picnic.
"I have perfect timing," he chuckled. "I figured that you would have given the house a once over this morning, first." He saw Kira lower her eyes to show him that he was right. She had made sure that the house was put in order for his parents even though the rest of the family had seen to it already. "So, did I miss anything when we fixed up the house?"
She nodded. "Fresh.. towels. Ones on.. rack.. boys.. used.. backside."
Jebb shook his head. He had just seen that the towels on the rack looked good enough. He hadn't thought to check to make sure that the kids hadn't wiped the backside of the hand towels in the guest bathroom upstairs. Guess he knew that he'd best check the next time.
"Okay, I'll admit I didn't really check them out. I should have known that you'd catch it, though."
Kira shrugged as she focused on her bowl of soup that had a lid on it. He was a small soup mug so once she removed the lid, she'd be able to drink out of it instead of bothering with a spoon.
"You should.. have. They.. got it.. from you."
Jebb busted out laughing. Yes, he had the tendency to just use the backside of towels when drying his hands so that he didn't have to worry about replacing them as often. If he used the backside the front still looked good to go. "Yeh, well, those fancy decorative hand towels usually just waste space, anyway. Not to mention, by the time you dry your hands on them, they are clean. So, the towels aren't exactly dirty."
Kira rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smirk. "Boys are.. just like.. you."
"So, they just inherited some of my more endearing qualities."
She couldn't help it. She snickered so hard she nearly choked as she took her first sip of her soup. But at least she was able to cover it up quickly before Jebb caught it. "Lucky.. them."
"Hey! I happen to believe that I'm quite the lovable guy." Jebb joked back and it felt good for the two to be out away from the house. Here, Kira also seemed to be more relaxed than he'd seen her... Well, ever that he could remember since he'd first woke up from his own accident last year.
"You.. can be." Kira smiled as she set her soup back down. "Sometimes."
Jebb gave a mock gasp as he looked insulted. "Only sometimes?"
In response, Kira shrugged.
The two then ate in comfortable silence so that Kira would be less likely to choke. After the meal Jebb shifted over to where his wife was leaning against the cave wall and sat beside her. When she rested her head on his shoulder, he grinned to himself. He reached for her hand and held it.
What he didn't expect that the quiet moment between the two of them would be a bit too soothing for Kira. When he turned his head and shifted to look and her, he saw that she was starting to doze. She'd overtaxed herself this morning trying to get the house in order. Jebb brushed his lips softly against hers then gently moved her so that she was resting her head on his lap. He figured that a nap before heading back to the farm was just what she needed.
He moved her short hair that had started to grow out after her hospital stay out of her face and watched as she drifted off to sleep. He'd let her rest for a while. Then they'll ride back to the house.