Kevin did the same routine day in and day out. He had remolded the upstairs. He stood surveying his accomplishments. He had turned it into a home. It no longer felt like a motel. But what was the point? It had never felt lonelier.
He went out to the stables and saddled Destiny. He was getting ready to ride up into the meadow when he saw Pastor Tom coming up the mountain. He thought about going down and meeting him halfway, but he changed his mind. He hadn't asked him to come. The July sun was hot and he finally made it up to where Kevin was.
"It sure is quiet up here so close to God."
Kevin didn't respond.
"I guess you know why I came to see you. It's been months Kevin. What's keeping you from church?"
He didn't like to think of it in terms of huge chunks of time. Kevin turned and picked up a hammer from the table. He still didn't answer Tom.
"Now is when you need your faith the most."
"It's not all about faith Tom, it's forgiveness."
"Of whom?"
Kevin frowned. "Do you really have to ask?"
"Yes. Of whom? God? Lucy? Her assailant, yourself...?"
"Myself? I'm sorry Tom, but I have work to do."
"Come to church. Let all of us be there for you."
Kevin shook his head.
"Fine. But I'll still keep praying for you."
There was a time when Kevin would have loved him to pray for him, but not anymore. It seemed pointless now. After Tom left he saddled up and then rode down to the house to get a pair of gloves. He was surprised to see Ben standing on the porch. He went over and shook his hand.
"It's nice to see you Ben."
"You too Kevin. How are you doing?"
"I'm surprised you haven't heard from other people, especially Pastor Tom."
"Listen Kevin, I'm sorry about Lucy."
Kevin slapped the dust from his jeans. "Oh well. What are you here for? Did mom send you to come and check on me?"
"Nope, I promise. Why don't you put the horse away and then have a beer with me."
"I don't have any."
"I do."
He went in with Ben. He pulled a twelve pack from his car and set it on the table. He also had Cuervo Gold and Beams. "Got any limes?"
Kevin shook his head.
"Then we'll have to drink it straight."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin woke the next morning with a splitting headache. He groaned when he saw Ben sitting on the couch.
Ben smiled. "Now that you have dealt with pain my way how do you feel?"
"Like hell." His head throbbed and his stomach turned.
"Here drink this. It will help."
He drank it. He probably had told Ben more than he wanted to when he was drinking last night, but he couldn't remember any of it.
Ben sat down. "I thought you should see how bad it could really be."
"Thanks, how kind of you."
"So what are you going to do now?"
"About what?"
"Lu-cy." Ben drew her name out.
"Nothing. She doesn't want to see me or talk to me ever again."
"Try again. Get over your hurt pride and call her. Sooner rather than later. I've stayed as long as I can, and I need to get going."
Ben packed his bags shook his brother's hand and left.
Kevin laid on the couch a little while longer. Whatever Ben had given him had helped. He went out to feed the livestock. Should I call Lucy? Maybe Ben was right. He went inside and dialed the number.
"Reverend Camden."
"Mr. Camden, this is Kevin Kinkirk. I'm calling for Lucy."
He paused. "Just a minute, I'll get her."
He waited, anticipating the sound of her voice. He prepared himself. But it wasn't her voice he heard.
"I'm sorry Kevin, she's not available right now."
Make her talk to me he thought. Kevin didn't say anything, he just say goodbye and hung up.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Her father hung up the phone. She turned, hoping to escape. She didn't want to talk to Kevin or her dad, but he stopped her.
"Lucy."
She turned.
"I'm ordering you to see a counselor and get some help."
She smirked. "Why because I won't talk to Kevin?"
"You won't talk to anyone. You never go out and you refuse all invitations."
That wasn't true. She had gone shopping to replace her clothes and she had even gone out with Mark.
He stood and walked to her. "I know you're hurt. But I think you should get some help. I'll find someone, the best person."
She pulled away and started for the door.
"Just answer me this, why won't you talk to Kevin?"
"Why do you care? I thought you didn't want me with that cowboy."
He sank into his chair, defeated. "I don't want you like this Lucy. You're like a robot. Get help Lucy!"
"There isn't anyone that could help me."
He dropped his face to his hands. "I all ready watched your mother die, I don't want to watch you die too."
She stood as still as a statue with no expression on her face. "I'm sorry dad, I'm all ready dead."
A/N: Please review! Thanks!
He went out to the stables and saddled Destiny. He was getting ready to ride up into the meadow when he saw Pastor Tom coming up the mountain. He thought about going down and meeting him halfway, but he changed his mind. He hadn't asked him to come. The July sun was hot and he finally made it up to where Kevin was.
"It sure is quiet up here so close to God."
Kevin didn't respond.
"I guess you know why I came to see you. It's been months Kevin. What's keeping you from church?"
He didn't like to think of it in terms of huge chunks of time. Kevin turned and picked up a hammer from the table. He still didn't answer Tom.
"Now is when you need your faith the most."
"It's not all about faith Tom, it's forgiveness."
"Of whom?"
Kevin frowned. "Do you really have to ask?"
"Yes. Of whom? God? Lucy? Her assailant, yourself...?"
"Myself? I'm sorry Tom, but I have work to do."
"Come to church. Let all of us be there for you."
Kevin shook his head.
"Fine. But I'll still keep praying for you."
There was a time when Kevin would have loved him to pray for him, but not anymore. It seemed pointless now. After Tom left he saddled up and then rode down to the house to get a pair of gloves. He was surprised to see Ben standing on the porch. He went over and shook his hand.
"It's nice to see you Ben."
"You too Kevin. How are you doing?"
"I'm surprised you haven't heard from other people, especially Pastor Tom."
"Listen Kevin, I'm sorry about Lucy."
Kevin slapped the dust from his jeans. "Oh well. What are you here for? Did mom send you to come and check on me?"
"Nope, I promise. Why don't you put the horse away and then have a beer with me."
"I don't have any."
"I do."
He went in with Ben. He pulled a twelve pack from his car and set it on the table. He also had Cuervo Gold and Beams. "Got any limes?"
Kevin shook his head.
"Then we'll have to drink it straight."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin woke the next morning with a splitting headache. He groaned when he saw Ben sitting on the couch.
Ben smiled. "Now that you have dealt with pain my way how do you feel?"
"Like hell." His head throbbed and his stomach turned.
"Here drink this. It will help."
He drank it. He probably had told Ben more than he wanted to when he was drinking last night, but he couldn't remember any of it.
Ben sat down. "I thought you should see how bad it could really be."
"Thanks, how kind of you."
"So what are you going to do now?"
"About what?"
"Lu-cy." Ben drew her name out.
"Nothing. She doesn't want to see me or talk to me ever again."
"Try again. Get over your hurt pride and call her. Sooner rather than later. I've stayed as long as I can, and I need to get going."
Ben packed his bags shook his brother's hand and left.
Kevin laid on the couch a little while longer. Whatever Ben had given him had helped. He went out to feed the livestock. Should I call Lucy? Maybe Ben was right. He went inside and dialed the number.
"Reverend Camden."
"Mr. Camden, this is Kevin Kinkirk. I'm calling for Lucy."
He paused. "Just a minute, I'll get her."
He waited, anticipating the sound of her voice. He prepared himself. But it wasn't her voice he heard.
"I'm sorry Kevin, she's not available right now."
Make her talk to me he thought. Kevin didn't say anything, he just say goodbye and hung up.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Her father hung up the phone. She turned, hoping to escape. She didn't want to talk to Kevin or her dad, but he stopped her.
"Lucy."
She turned.
"I'm ordering you to see a counselor and get some help."
She smirked. "Why because I won't talk to Kevin?"
"You won't talk to anyone. You never go out and you refuse all invitations."
That wasn't true. She had gone shopping to replace her clothes and she had even gone out with Mark.
He stood and walked to her. "I know you're hurt. But I think you should get some help. I'll find someone, the best person."
She pulled away and started for the door.
"Just answer me this, why won't you talk to Kevin?"
"Why do you care? I thought you didn't want me with that cowboy."
He sank into his chair, defeated. "I don't want you like this Lucy. You're like a robot. Get help Lucy!"
"There isn't anyone that could help me."
He dropped his face to his hands. "I all ready watched your mother die, I don't want to watch you die too."
She stood as still as a statue with no expression on her face. "I'm sorry dad, I'm all ready dead."
A/N: Please review! Thanks!