Standard disclaimers apply.
Second Chance
When Kaitlyn woke, she was on her back. Gary was lying on his stomach with his arm draped across her. She looked at the clock. It was early, 6:15. She lay in bed watching Gary sleep. He looked so peaceful.
"Wake up sleepy head." She sat up and kissed him on the cheek.
"I don't want to wake up. I'm having a great dream." Gary hugged his pillow tighter.
"About what?" Kaitlyn asked and began to plant kisses along his jaw line.
"I met this great girl." Gary smiled.
"Yeah? Go on." Kaitlyn continued to kiss him.
"She's beautiful. Brunette…" Gary teased.
"Hey!" Kaitlyn stopped kissing him and pushed on his shoulder. "You better watch it buster."
"Watch it. I'll watch it." He said as he pulled her down onto the bed. He began to kiss her. She pulled away and started to get out of bed.
"Where do you think your going?" He said and started to kiss her shoulder.
"I was going to make you breakfast." She smiled.
"I don't think I'm really that hungry yet. At least not for food." Gary whispered in her ear. "What do you say you come over here and I'll show you a better way to start the day."
Kaitlyn couldn't resist. She got back in bed next to Gary. "Hmm, so show me." She teased.
As Gary leaned in to kiss her, they heard a loud thump. Gary winced. "What was that?" Kaitlyn asked startled. Gary closed his eyes tightly, for the first time in six years worth of mornings he had forgotten all about the paper.
"That…that's the cat. I better go let him in or he will just keep throwing himself up against the door." Gary groaned as he got out of bed and looked for his boxers and t-shirt.
Kaitlyn sat up. "Don't you think it is kind of strange that cat can find you where ever you are?"
Gary had found his boxers and was still looking for his t-shirt. Tell her, that little voice in his head told him. Finding his t-shirt he began to put in on and stuttered, "I d-d-don't know…I, I never really thought that much about it. Maybe it's a food thing." He joked. You're such a coward Hobson, he thought to himself.
Kaitlyn gave him a puzzled look. He came back over to the bed and kissed her. "Don't move. I'll be right back." He smiled and headed downstairs.
Kaitlyn got out of bed and slipped on her robe. Smiling she picked up the clothes that were haphazardly thrown on the floor from the night before. She headed downstairs to find Gary standing in the foyer looking at a newspaper so engrossed he didn't even see her. The cat ran over to her and started to rub against her leg.
Gary had only gotten through looking at the first few pages when he heard, "Hey kitty." She said to the cat. "Well at least somebody is paying me some attention." She pouted. "Where did that come from?" She said pointing towards the paper.
"Oh, a…" He folded up the paper. "It was on the porch. Must be a free issue." Gary tried to change the subject. "Hey, I told you not to move. I was coming back." Gary said pleading his case.
"Well your too late. I have someone else to turn my attentions to." She reached down, picked up the cat, and headed for the kitchen. "Want some tuna?"
"You're spoiling him you know." Gary grumbled as he followed her into the kitchen.
"Don't listen to him, he's just a sore looser." Kaitlyn said to the cat.
Kaitlyn gave the cat some tuna and started to make some coffee. Gary laid the paper down on the table, sat, and watched her. He was so lucky, he thought to himself. He had finally found what he had always been looking for, a true love. Someone who loved him as much as he did her. He knew he needed to tell her about the paper. He knew she loved him, but he was still afraid. Afraid that her feelings would change after she found out. Erica's did. She couldn't handle the paper. Not that his relationship with Erica was anything compared to what he had with Kaitlyn.
"Hello. Anybody in there?" Kaitlyn's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Why are you staring at me?" Kaitlyn asked as she walked towards him.
"What a guy can't stare at the woman he loves?" Gary asked smiling. When she reached him, he grabbed her and pulled her down onto his lap.
"I love you too." Kaitlyn smiled. "When?" Kaitlyn asked.
"When what?" Gary replied as he laughed.
"When did you know?" Kaitlyn could tell by the look on his face that he still didn't know what she was asking him. "When did you know that you were in love with me?"
"Well, I could honestly say that the first time I looked into your eyes I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen." Gary smiled. "That's when I knew."
Gary noticed that she looked like she was going to cry as she leaned in and kissed him. He suddenly pulled away and said; "All right turn about is fair play."
"What?" She pretended to not know what he was talking about.
"What? You know exactly well, what I am talking about. I told you, now you have to tell me." He demanded.
"Well, I could say that the first time I looked into your eyes I thought you were the most handsome man I had ever seen." Gary smiled. "But, I have met a lot of handsome men." Kaitlyn teased.
"Hey!" Gary said as he started to tickle her. "You seem to always forget that I know how ticklish you are." He laughed.
"Okay! Okay! I'll tell!" She screamed. He stopped tickling her and she settled into his lap.
"That first night when we were walking to the train with the girls. I saw you holding Casey's hand and talking with them. I knew then that you were special. But, later that night when you walked me to my car and kissed me." Kaitlyn smiled. "That's when I knew I was in love with you." Gary smiled. They started to kiss.
"You know it will be a while until my Mom brings the girls home." She said as she continued to kiss his lips.
"What do you say we go back upstairs and pick up where we left off." He whispered in her ear.
"I'd say, I like the way you think Mr. Hobson."
Kaitlyn got up, took Gary's hand, and led him back upstairs. Gary was completely unaware that his future happiness was going to be compromised by an unread story inside his newspaper.