Chapter 22- Under the Influence
"So, what did the children look like? I'm just curious," Ezra asked, attentively listening to Kitty's revelation of her dream as they sat across from each other on his makeshift bed, the fire providing large shadows against the walls.
"Well," Kitty tried to recall, slightly tilting her head as she gazed upward, "Addie was my Addie, as I'd expect. Sunny was a toddler, maybe my Scarlett's age. She had brown, wavy hair and almond-shaped brown eyes. Oh! And she had a little tan to her skin, too."
"Sunny, huh?"
"That was her name," Kitty took a sip of the brandy she'd refilled, staring directly into her companion's brown eyes, noticing they were the same color and shape of her imaginary child's, "Well, Midnight Sun was her given name."
Ezra nodded, explaining, "That name would indicate she'd been born around midnight during a full moon," he casually handed Kitty a glass of water, "And you didn't see either boy?"
"No. I just know their names were Ezra, Jr. and Spotted Wolf," she accepted the glass of water, rolling her eyes at his gesture before taking a sip.
He wrapped his muscular arms around his bent knees, "To me, Spotted Wolf would mean the boy had your freckles. Spotted usually refers to a person's body markings," he bit his bottom lip, slightly nodding his head.
Kitty gathered her mostly dry tresses from in front of her right shoulder and tossed them so they flowed down her back. She took a deep breath, "So what does your training in psychology tell you about my dream?" She stretched her long, creamy legs in front of her, leaning back on her braced arms. Her big blue eyes sparkled as she grinned.
"Not much, really. Just that I'd planted the seed in your brain, like you said, so you conjured up the dream," Ezra noticed that Kitty had not buttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, the cleavage of her perfectly shaped breasts seemingly begging to be viewed.
"The scariest part of the dream was that in my head, I knew that Mannon was still alive, looking for me and Addie. I figured that's why we'd stayed on the reservation."
"Dreams are powerful. Dr. James, the man I studied under for a bit, is really starting to explore the meaning of dreams. It's fascinating," the handsome man sipped the last of his libation.
Through her alcohol induced haze, Kitty inadvertently stared at Ezra's impeccable pectoral muscles, marveling at how broad he was in general. She subconsciously licked her bottom lip.
She shook her head, her eyes refocusing on his ruggedly handsome face when he asked, "You said I was a good kisser, huh?"
"You sure seemed t' be. I smiled and sure as hell didn't pull away," she giggled, finishing the last drops in her brandy snifter.
Ezra chuckled, "Well thank goodness for that! Just seems a little unfair that you got t' sample the goods and I did not."
They both laughed heartily, Kitty's raucous laugh bouncing off the walls.
"You poor baby," she mockingly pouted her bottom lip, repositioning herself upon her knees to caress his stubbly cheek.
"Indeed, Miss Kitty. How fair is it that you know I'm a good kisser, but I'm left in the complete dark about your abilities?" Ezra repeatedly arched his dark eyebrows.
Kitty leaned over, her nose nearly touching his. She looked deeply into Ezra Roseveare's dark eyes and whispered, her breath filling his mouth, "My, my, we can't have that now, can we?" The redhead leaned in closer and ever-so-gently pressed her slightly parted lips against his, closing her eyes.
Ezra, too, closed his eyes and instinctively cradled the back of her head with his large hand, releasing a soft moan as he tasted the delectable treat he'd been craving for the last eleven years.
Kitty broke the connection, her expression sultry. She placed both her hands upon his chest, querying, "There. Are we even now?"
The big man found himself not only mute, but aroused. He quietly answered, "I suppose we are." I hope she doesn't notice how tight my pants are.
"I don't ever want it said that I don't play fair," she winked, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"Look at the time, Kitty. I think we should get some sleep," Ezra uncomfortably shifted, willing his body to obey his command to settle down. Down being the operative word.
"Well, aren't you a party pooper," she thrust her hands upon her hips, mock-frowning.
Ezra sprang to his feet, offering Kitty his hand. She playfully slapped her hand into his and he gently pulled her to a standing position. As she'd risen to her feet, he'd had a perfect view down the shirt she wore. Oh, God help me, he internally groaned.
"I'm gonna visit the water closet one last time, Kitty. See ya in the morning," the big man quickly disappeared. Once out of her sight, he leaned against the back of the closed door, inhaling and exhaling slowly. He was certainly flustered, scrubbing his stubble, trying to relax so he'd be able to get some sleep. Good luck with that, Roseveare. Good luck.
XXXXXXXX
Kitty opened one blurry, bloodshot eye, noticing the morning sun peeking through the half-closed slats of the hotel room blinds. The only part of her aching body that moved was that same eyeball, searching the room for evidence as to what had transpired in the wee hours of New Year's Day. Her head pounded as she tried to remember what had happened after she'd tantalizingly kissed Ezra.
"Mornin', Kitty," Ezra shyly greeted while exiting the water closet. He slowly approached the area where he'd slept and began to gather the blankets off the floor, folding them with his bare back facing the groggy redhead.
"Morning," she barely audibly mumbled, feeling as if her mouth was full of cotton. She painstakingly lifted the duvet, curious as to what she'd worn to bed. Ezra's shirt…wonderful. And it's unbuttoned to my navel. Oh, God, what did I do…How much did I drink?
"You hungry?" the big man finally turned toward the bed, eyeing the redhead for the first time since their searing kiss just a few hours prior. He rested his hands upon his waist, drinking in the disheveled appearance of the woman he'd fallen in love with all over again.
Kitty moaned as she propped herself onto her elbows, which she'd planted behind her. The only word she could utter came out as a request, "Water…"
The incredibly muscular man made his way to the side table, where he'd already prepared a pitcher for when Kitty would awaken. He sat on the edge of the bed and handed her a glass as she cautiously sat up, tucking the duvet under her armpits.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Ezra reached over, pushing some wayward red tendrils out of her eyes, quietly asking, "How ya feeling this morning?"
Kitty slowly sipped the cool water, hoping the pounding in her head would soon dissipate. She held the glass between both her palms and studied the remaining liquid while responding, "Not so great. Why'd you let me drink so much?"
"Last time I checked, you're a grown woman who plays by her own rules," he pursed his lips.
"Touché," she slightly lifted her gaze to meet his.
"I'm starving. I'll go order us some food. I think then maybe I need t' grab you something to wear on the train."
"What?" Kitty asked, trying to understand him over the bass drum banging in her brain.
"Honey, I doubt you want to wear a velvet party gown on the train back to Kansas City," he casually placed his hand upon her knee, with only the duvet separating their body heat.
"Oh, I hadn't thought about that," she closed her eyes, scrunching her face as she slowly massaged her temples.
Ezra stood, groaning as he stretched his arms over his head, "Would you take my shirt off?"
Kitty jerked her head, her bloodshot eyes as big as saucers, "I beg your pardon?" she croaked.
He smirked, realizing she'd misunderstood his intentions, "I can't very well leave the room without a shirt now, can I?"
"Oh, of course not," Kitty threw back the covers and scurried into the water closet.
Ezra internally chuckled at her sudden modesty as he downed a tall glass of water himself. He took a deep breath and informed her through the door, "I managed to flag down a bellboy in the hall. He brought us a pot of coffee."
"Great," she mumbled, sticking her arm out the door, Ezra's white dress shirt dangling from her finger tips, "Here ya go. I'll pay you back for whatever you buy me. I have my underthings, so I just need a dress of some kind."
"Okay, I won't be long," he slipped his arms into his shirt's sleeves, giving them a little sniff as he did so. Her scent is intoxicating, I swear.
"Oh! Ezra? Can you please hand me the basket? I need to well, you know."
He turned his head away as he handed the frazzled woman the basket containing the breast pump, commenting, "Drink more water while I'm gone. It'll help with the headache."
But what will help my heartache? How could I have done such a thing?!
XXXXXXXX
Ezra stealthily entered the hotel room, balancing a tray in one hand and carrying a package wrapped in brown paper and twine in the other. He startled Kitty as she hung upside down brushing her hair, dressed not only in her underclothes, but a bedsheet tied around her as if she were a Greek goddess atop Mount Olympus.
"I've brought you some eggs, bacon, and toast, sweet Aphrodite," Ezra winked as he placed the tray upon the small table between the two wingback chairs.
"Very funny, Roseveare," Kitty smirked, flipping her hair behind her back in one, fluid motion, "What else could I do? No way I could have shimmied back into that evening gown, so the sheet it is," she popped a piece of bacon into her mouth. "I assume that's for me?" she nodded at the package he'd placed upon the bed.
"Yes, Ma'am. Did you know this fancy hotel has a clothing shop in it?" he grinned, removing his heavy coat, "I also ventured out to the train station. It's slushy out, but the sun is melting the snow. Our train departs at twelve-fifteen."
"Thank goodness," Kitty plopped into the wingback chair, eager to eat her breakfast, but not so eager to talk about her recent salacious actions.
"I bought you a real pretty blue dress. It looks like it'll fit ya just fine," he took a big gulp of his water.
"I love blue," Kitty commented, biting her bottom lip, "Ezra, we need to talk about what happened last night," she didn't dare meet his gaze.
"Okay. You go first," he sliced his egg with the edge of his fork, studying her face.
"I'm very embarrassed by a couple of things," she scooted back all the way in her chair, sipping her coffee. She sighed, "I had so much t' drink. I…I've been drinking more than I have in a long time," she looked her friend straight in the eye, "I can finally admit that."
Ezra leaned over, resting his elbows upon his knees, "Lots of people self-medicate with alcohol, Kitty. You aren't alone. Especially with all you've been through lately-the baby, Matt's escapades…" his voice trailed off, realizing his friend was well aware of her own lamentations.
Kitty placed her cup atop the small table and massaged her sore neck and shoulders. She grimaced, "That's no excuse. I shouldn't be getting so drunk I can't even…" she shook her head emphatically, "I'm a mother to six children who need me to be healthy and whole. And as far as my behavior last night," she stood and paced in front of the fireplace, running her hand up and down the length of her neck, "I don't know what I was thinking, Ezra. I've never and I mean, never, been unfaithful to my husband…"
"Kitty-"
"No, let me finish," she held her palm in front of him as she continued to pace, "Ezra, we never should have slept together. It was wrong, so very wrong, and it was all my fault," she stopped in front of him, placing her hands upon her chest, "I'm completely t' blame. You're just a man, like any other, and I acted untoward and-"
"Kitty," Ezra raised his voice, "please, stop."
She covered her face with both of her hands, shaking her head back and forth, "How could I have done such a thing? How?" she began to weep, her whole body shaking as she swayed back and forth.
Ezra leapt to embrace her, soothing, "I'm going to tell you something, Kitty Dillon, and you need to listen. We did not, I repeat did not make love last night."
Kitty hiccupped, glancing up, "Wha-What? We-we didn't?!" she slightly turned her head side-to-side, "The last thing I remember was kissing you…really kissing you and you saying we should go to bed…" she curiously stared at his face, silently begging him to tell her what had transpired.
Ezra reached into his pocket and removed his handkerchief, unceremoniously shaking it out of its square shape. He lifted her chin and tenderly wiped away the tears that had streaked her alabaster cheeks.
The big man confidently clarified, "What I said was, 'We should get some sleep.' That's it."
"Really?" Kitty sniffled, taking the handkerchief from her consoler to dry her glistening eyes, "You're not just saying that t' make me feel better? Since I can't remember?"
"I promise you I'd never lie t' ya, Kitty, especially about that," he emphatically nodded, a painful expression eclipsing his chiseled features.
"What's wrong?" she let out one last shuddering breath, searching Ezra's sad, chestnut eyes.
He gently rubbed his hands up and down her upper arms, confessing, "Makes me a little sad that if we had actually slept together, you wouldn't have even remembered it. When for me, well...never mind."
Kitty bit her bottom lip, focusing her attention on the middle button of Ezra's shirt while she fiddled with it, "Ezra…I shouldn't have kissed you like that. Even as a joke. It wasn't funny. It was insensitive to you, and completely disrespectful to Matt. I just don't know what came over me."
Ezra squeezed Kitty's shoulders and her eyes met his. He grinned, "You were under the influence of alcohol, Honey. People do some crazy things sometimes if they've had too much t' drink. Surely having owned a saloon you know that," he let go of her shoulders and began to pick up their dishes. "We need to finish getting ready. I sure hope Lydia is okay and Clarence stayed with her like I sent word for him to do."
Kitty continued her sullen downward stare, crossing her arms in front of her chest until her dear friend ordered, "Get movin', Aphrodite. We've got a train t' catch!"
And then I've got to go home...
TBC