Kendall's eyes fluttered open as she turned on the sofa, noticing a cashmere throw that was keeping her warm instead of her husband. She sat up and looked over at the kitchen where Zach stood stirring a pot of something that smelled delicious.
He glanced over at her, appreciating for a moment how sexy she looked with her heavy-lidded eyes and tousled hair, wearing nothing but the throw he had covered her with after waking earlier. He smiled and said, "Hey there, Sleepyhead. How are you feeling?"
Kendall smiled back, laughing low in her throat at her husband who was clad in nothing more than a pair of slacks as he prepared their dinner. She stretched like a cat as she answered, "Mmm… I don't know which I like better… waking up to that wonderful aroma or having a sexy man cook my dinner."
While she was speaking he had walked over to the sofa carrying a spoon for her to taste the sauce. She took a tentative taste before giving him another smile and a nod. He then leaned down and kissed off a small amount that she had left on the corner of her mouth. Kendall wrapped a hand around his neck pulling him in for a deeper kiss but after a moment he pulled away laughing, "Bianca and Miranda are coming over after dinner, remember? I'm afraid you'll have to hold that thought until later."
Kendall laughed in response, "Mmm… delicious. I'll just take a quick shower before dinner and then…"
"…and then you'll help me pick up this place so that Miranda can safely roam. I understand that she is very mobile and very curious," Zach answered her, watching appreciatively as the throw slipped strategically when she stood up from the sofa.
"Okay… I'll be back to set the table," she answered.
As she started to walk down the short hallway to their bedroom Zach stopped her with his voice, "Have I told you lately what a lucky man I am?"
"No luckier than I," she turned andanswered quietly before continuing to the bathroom and her shower.
While Kendall was getting ready, Zach concentrated on preparing the pasta, salad and bread that would constitute the rest of their meal. He had just finished pulling vegetables from the refrigerator when there was a knock at the door. He looked down at his state of undress and shrugged briefly, hoping that he had made enough pasta to share with Bianca. He laid the food on the counter before walking to the front door and opening it with a smile already on his face to greet his sister-in-law and niece.
"Well… I always knew you weren't decent, Zach, but this is ridiculous," Erica Kane commented caustically as she took note of his lack of clothing.
Zach just laughed and stepped aside to allow the woman to enter, "So sorry that you're offended… you're welcome to leave."
"I came to see my daughter, Kendall… tell her I'm here," she answered imperiously as she seated herself on a chair in the living room.
"She's in the shower," Zach answered eyeing his shirt and suit jacket lying across the arm of another chair. After a moment he walked into the kitchen and checked the boiling pasta, making it very clear that he would not put on a shirt just to make her more comfortable.
"Isn't it a little late in the day for that? Or does the casino force you to sleep all day so that you can stay up all night?" Erica asked sarcastically.
"You'll have to ask Kendall… I let her set her own schedule," Zach answered with equal sarcasm. "Sorry I can't ask you to dinner… perhaps if you'd called…"
"No, that's quite alright. I'll just sit and wait while you tell Kendall I'm here… and put some clothes on," Erica replied.
Zach laughed and spent a few more minutes in the kitchen before taking pity on his mother-in-law and putting on his shirt. He stood in the hallway listening for the water to stop running while buttoning his shirt. Erica was pointedly trying to ignore him, but the condo was entirely too small and her efforts to look around the room at something other than him were so humorous that he couldn't contain another chuckle.
Finally, when Erica could take it no more she commented, "Well… you certainly don't act like a man who buried his son this morning."
Zach paused briefly but remained smiling as he answered, "Erica… you have no idea." He then picked up his jacket and tie and turned down the hallway to warn Kendall of her mother's sudden arrival.
Kendall was standing in the bathroom toweling her hair dry when Zach looked in, "I just wanted to warn you… Erica's here."
"My mother's here?" she asked in surprise. "What does she want?"
"I don't know… she certainly didn't come to speak with me," he answered. "Besides… she didn't like my clothes."
"Oh no… you answered the door without… Zach! What if that had been Bianca?" Kendall said with a giggle.
"Bianca wouldn't care and you know it… I thought she and Miranda were early. It was worth it to watch your mother squirm, though," he chuckled in response. He laid his jacket and tie on the bed before seating himself to put on shoes and socks. "Do you want me to wait in here? Or can I go back in the kitchen to keep our dinner from burning?"
"Go take care of dinner… I'll be out in a minute," Kendall answered as she put on slacks and a blouse, slipping her feet into a pair of sandals.
"She'll be right out," Zach commented as he re-entered the room and checked the food before pulling dishes and glassware from the cabinet and setting them on the table.
Kendall entered the room a moment later, "Mother… what a… um… surprise!"
Erica stood and pulled Kendall into a tight hug, "Oh, Kendall… I knew something like this was going to happen!"
"Something like what, Mother?" Kendall said in confusion as she and Zach shared a look over Erica's shoulder.
"I knew it was only a matter of time before Zach Slater made you… oh, Kendall!" Erica continued, leaving both Zach and Kendall looking puzzled.
"Zach hasn't made me do anything, Mother," Kendall said firmly. "Whatever you've heard it's probably just another rumor."
"This is no rumor. JR Chandler paid a visit to me at New Beginnings to fill me in… and I'm very hurt that you felt you couldn't come to me," Erica answered.
Once again, Zach and Kendall exchanged perplexed looks, "I'm sorry, Mother… but I haven't even seen JR since the casino opening, so I wouldn't put too much stock into anything he says."
"Well JR has certainly seen you… and the fact that you didn't even notice leads me to believe that it's worse than I imagined," Erica replied.
"WHAT? Mother… I don't know what you're talking about, and I certainly don't know what JR told you! Will you please quit talking in riddles and just tell me what he said?" Kendall said in complete exasperation.
Erica looked from Kendall's angry face to Zach's amused one and heaved a deep sigh before replying, "He saw you at the hospital, darling. You have to tell me what's wrong with you… I'm certainly not surprised that marriage to Zach has made you sick."
"I'm not sick, Mother… I was there to see Maria," Kendall answered.
"Maria? Why on earth would you choose to see her as your doctor?" Erica responded. Glancing toward her son-in-law she continued, "I suppose this is your twisted idea to keep all your women together, Zach?"
"It wasn't about my health, Mother," Kendall said caustically. "We needed to go over some details about the harem."
Zach gave a shout of laughter from the kitchen as Erica answered, "Very funny, Kendall. Don't even try to convince me that you were there to discuss your husband with his lover – as ludicrous as that may sound. JR told me… he saw you… and the nurse…"
Zach, who had been working in the kitchen, stopped and stared at Erica's last comment, "Just what did Junior see, Erica?"
Erica pointedly ignored his comment and directed her reply to Kendall, "He said a nurse came out carrying vials of blood… I suppose you're hiding this from him? Well, I won't stand for it… he's making you sick and I want him to know about it!"
While Erica had been speaking, Zach reached Kendall in a two long strides and gently turned her to face him, bending low to make his face even with hers as he looked at her in concern, "Kendall? Is this true?"
Kendall felt trapped between her mother and her husband, and didn't know who to be angrier with – JR for spying on her or Maria for insisting on the tests. She shook her head and looked at Zach intently, "Nothing's wrong… Maria was being over-cautious. Her nurse thought it was a medical visit and pulled my chart. I haven't had a physical in a while and with all the stress we've been under…"
Zach pulled her close, holding a hand against the back of her neck as he bent his head to kiss the top of hers, "It's been too much, I know… I'm sorry. When will Maria have the test results?"
Kendall pulled out of Zach's arms and locked her eyes with his, "She's not going to call unless there's a problem… and there isn't any problem because I'm not sick. Now stop fussing over me. She probably did it as an excuse to talk to you anyway."
Zach smiled as he answered, "I don't think she'll be calling me about your medical condition."
"No… but she knows that you'd call her the minute you found out about those tests. That is what you're thinking of doing, isn't it?" Kendall retorted.
Slowly Zach nodded, "Mmm-hmm… and I suppose you don't want me to call her?"
"I don't care if you call her, I just don't want to be the topic of the conversation!" she answered him hotly.
"As long as you promise to go back and get the results of her tests, I won't have to talk to her… but if you don't I'll be camped on her doorstep," he answered with a frown.
"How very touching… so glad to see you've graduated from cemeteries to the good doctor's office," Erica said scathingly, reminding them of her presence.
Zach frowned at Erica over Kendall's head but said nothing. He leaned down and deliberately kissed her on the mouth before returning to their dinner. Kendall turned to face her mother and said, "That's quite enough, Mother. This is none of your business… and if you want to know anything else, I suggest you ask JR Chandler since he's such a fountain of information. Now… if you'll excuse us, we don't have time to visit because we have plans this evening."
With that Kendall stormed over to the front door and held it open for her mother to leave. Erica stood for a moment and stared at Kendall before giving Zach a venomous look, "This isn't over… and when I've found out what you've done to my daughter, you will be very sorry."
Zach inclined his head, "I look forward to it."
Erica walked out of the condo without another backwards glance and Kendall took great pleasure in slamming the door so hard that the window rattled. She turned to Zach and snarled, "I'm going to kill JR!"
He smiled before walking over and pulling her against him, "Can I help?"
She pulled out of his arms, "Don't look so eager… this one's all mine. But the next time he tries to kiss me, you can do whatever you want."
"Who says I want to do anything to him when he tries to kiss you?" he asked innocently.
"I've seen the look in your eyes… and it's a good thing we changed our minds about that open marriage idea… because I think JR would be a resident of the Pine Valley Cemetery if anything had happened between us," she answered with a laugh.
"You can do much better than little Chandler," he answered nonchalantly.
"I already have," she whispered before pulling his head down for a long and lingering kiss.