Kayla opened the door and was hit with a blast of cold air. She went in and smiled. Mark had got her an Air conditioner. Kayla was touched. Being around him all the time, she had come to find he was a kind person. She had misjudged him all those years. Now she saw why her dad had liked him. She still wasn't crazy about the fact he owned her home, but she could see he was trying to help her. She went and took a quick shower and slipped on a large t-shirt to sleep in. Champ was lying on the bed.
"You like that cool air, don't you boy?" Kayla said sitting down on the bed petting him. Champ lifted his head and licked her face. Kayla laughed and hugged him. She looked up and noticed the TV setting on a TV table. Down beside it was a small refrigerator. Kayla got up and opened it and found it stocked with cold drinks and bottled water. Tears pricked Kayla's eyes. Mark was being so kind to her. She had been awful to him her whole life and he had showed her nothing but kindness. She turned on the TV and sat down with a bottle of water. She wiped her eyes. This was great, air condition, a TV, and a cold drink. Kayla smiled. Just goes to show you it don't take much to make a person happy. She would have to thank Mark in the morning.
There was a knock at the door. Kayla knew it must be Mark. She got up and opened the door. Mark was standing there in sweats and a tank top. She surprised both of them by throwing her arms around him and hugging him.
"Thank you Mark." Kayla said.
Mark wrapped his arms around her. He was truly surprised by her display of affection.
"Yer welcome little one." Mark said.
Mark hoisted her up in his arms and shut the door with his foot. He set her on the bed. Kayla looked away from him. She was little embarrassed for practically climbing up on him. Mark smiled at the light blush that colored her cheeks. God she was beautiful. Mark lifted his hand and brushed her hair back off her shoulder. It felt like silk. Mark vowed at that moment he would always watch over her. He would never let anything happen to her.
Kayla peeked up at him. Her eyes met his and it caused her stomach to do flip flops. God he made her feel weird.
"Mark I really do appreciate the AC, the refrigerator, and the TV." Kayla said.
"I'm glad your happy little one, I just want ya too be comfortable. I just came by to check on ya. I was kinda worried maybe ya was more upset than ya seemed." Mark said.
"No, I'm fine really." Kayla said smiling.
"Okay. I'm going to bed, I'll see ya tomorrow." Mark said.
Kayla got up on her knees and pressed her lips to Mark's cheek for a moment.
"Good night Mark." Kayla said.
Marks heart lurched at her sweetness. He was fast becoming attached to this girl. He supposed he was filling in the missing void in her life her father had left. He told himself that was all he was feeling for her was sort of a fatherly concern. But even he knew the reactions his body was having to her were not fatherly. Mark sighed she was really just a child, he would not cross that line with her. She was hurt and vulnerable. She needed a friend a mentor of sorts not someone trying to get in her pants.
Mark laid her down in the bed and pulled the covers over her. He bent and placed a kiss on her head.
"Good night Kayla." Mark said. He flipped off the light and left.
Kayla laid there wondering why her heart beat was going a mile a minute. Mark made her heart race every time he was near her. But Mark treated her just like her daddy had. He must see her as a child. He was trying to fill the void her dad had left. Kayla sighed. If that's all Mark felt for her she would take it. They would just be friends, but somehow the thought of him kissing her the way Josh had didn't fill her with disgust, it filled her with curiosity. "Quit it Kayla. He has a girlfriend remember." Kayla told her self.
Kayla turned over and wrapped her arm around Champ. She couldn't believe she had hated Mark all these years and now she was having these feelings for him. Kayla closed her eyes and finally drifted off to sleep.
Kayla woke at 4:00am the same time she always did. She was about to get up and remembered she had the day off. She snuggled back under the covers. Champ licked her face.
"I guess you need to go out." Kayla said and got up and let him out the door. Kayla turned on the TV and lay under the covers just relaxing something she didn't do much. She felt her self getting drowsy again and turned over and went back to sleep.
Mark had got up early and met Mr. Elmer to let him know what needed to be done. Luckily he knew what to do, so Mark had left him to it and went back to the house. He made him a quick breakfast and headed to his truck. He had something to take care of in town.
Mark pulled up in front of Martin's sporting good store and got out. He went in and there was the little punk standing behind the counter.
Josh's eyes got wide when he saw Mark.
"I warned ya you little punk." Mark said and grabbed him and dragged him outside. Mark punched him a couple of times and let him go. He didn't want to kill the boy; he was a lot bigger than Josh. He mostly wanted to scare him.
"If I ever see ya near Kayla again boy, I'll hurt ya." Mark said dragging the boy right up to his face.
"Do ya understand?" Mark asked in a deadly voice.
"Yyyyeess." Josh managed to stutter.
Mark dropped him and walked off feeling much better.