Dana"Yes, Mom. I'll be there. I might be bringing a friend if that's all right?" I pressed the phone to my ear and leaned against the glass window at the end of the hall in the hospital."A girl friend or a boyfriend?" My mom's probing was never subtle."A boyfriend. I'm dating this guy on and off and I think you'll really like him.""Oh nice! I'm so excited for you. Why didn't you mention this earlier?""Because I know you like to get up in my business, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that.""And now you are?" I'd hurt her feelings."I think so. Is it just you tonight?" I turned as someone tapped me on the back. Jackie stood behind me, bouncing on the balls of her feet like she was about to burst at the seams with great news."No. Your sister and brother will be here, and your Uncle Pino.""All right Mom. I'll be there around six tonight, okay?""See you then, Mija."I pulled the phone from my ear as Jackie let out a long squeal. I smiled in spite of myself. "What?""He called! He
DanaAfter finishing up my shift, I finally got over to the pound and picked up the bird in the nick of time. They'd lined up a buyer for the next day, and my luck couldn't have been better. I dropped him off at my apartment, not knowing where else to put him and I headed out to my mother’s.Kendal hadn't returned the text I sent right after I got off of work asking him to come to dinner with me. I knew he was busy. I didn't expect him to join us, but damn if I didn't want him to. There was an old run-down hotel just a mile from my mother's place that we could stay at for the night if he was up for it. I just needed to feel him against me something desperate.I pressed the button with his number on it and held my breath, half expecting him not to pick up. When he did, it took me a few seconds to find my voice."Dana?""Oh... Yeah. Hey. Sorry." I rolled my eyes and took a quick breath. "I wanted to see if you might be willing to come out to my mom's tonight for dinner. Nothing formal,
KendalI kissed her a few more times, not really considering how inappropriate it might have been to make out with her in front of her family.She pulled back and smiled up at me. "I've missed you.""Me more." I leaned down and stole one more kiss. "I got flowers, dessert and a bottle of wine.""Well, my mother made sweet tea, so even if you don't drink it, do yourself a favor and have a small glass." I turned and opened the door. "It's like a party in your mouth."He chuckled softly behind me. "I'm from Dallas, remember? I love sweet tea.""Good." She moved to my side and took the bag from me as her mother turned around and paused. Something about her was so incredibly familiar. Had we met before?"Mom... this is Kendal. Kendal, this is my mother." Dana wrapped her arm around the back of my waist and moved me toward the small portly woman. I could see where Dana got her looks from. The woman was stunning though she'd let herself go. Life had a way of doing that when loss showed up at
KendalI took a deep breath and reached up to knock on the door, my heart aching at the thought of having to spend the night in the presence of my friends. They would all know that I was faking the calm I wore. It was more like being numb than calm. A facade I'd been practicing for a while. It served me many times over my long life.Two weeks of dragging my ass through life, wondering what cosmic genie I'd pissed off and how I'd done it. Not only was the last member of my family gone, but any hope for a torrid love affair with Dana was over."Dude. Good to see you!" Matthew Bryant, my best friend's little brother smiled like a tom-cat and reached for me, pulling me into a warm hug.I wrapped my arms around him and patted his back. "Hey, man. Good to see you. Seattle treating you okay?""Better than you." He moved back and gripped my shoulders. "Damon said that out of all of the women in Dallas you ended up with Ana's sister? That's just so far beyond fucked up. I'm mind-blown.""Matt!
Kendal"You sure you're okay, man? We're worried about you." Damon's voice filled up the living room as I had him on speaker phone."Yeah. I'll get it over it, man. I just thought this was my turn. That it was time to breathe again.""Kendal. It is time. Go after her and explain yourself. You didn't set this shit up. You didn't know-""Stop, okay? I love that you care about me, but I'll be okay. Someone else will come along in a few years and she'll be the right person." My words got lodged in my throat. Dana was the right person. She was my woman, the one I wanted to make love to every night and hold until we grew old together.I could see us building a house and having kids. Becoming the type of couple that other's would become jealous over. We'd have something they didn't have. We'd have what they all wanted.What I wanted. Deep, intense love."What can I do to fix this for you? I'll go talk to her.""No, Damon. We've been friends for a long-time man, and you're all I've got. Pleas
DanaThe gold and crimson leaves all over the ground were usually one of my favorite parts of fall in Texas, but nothing seemed to matter as I walked toward the hospital. I'd been avoiding Kendal like the plague for a little over two weeks, though it almost killed me to do it.But how in the hell could I do anything else but avoid him?His Ana was my Ana.Bile rose in my throat as I forced myself to jog up the stairs to the front door. How anyone who had been with my perfect, older sister could want me was a mystery. A sickening mystery.Ana was tall and thin, her skin flawless, her boobs big and curves alluring. She was everything I wasn't.Every nasty thing Cameron had said to me over the last few years rose up inside of me, his insults and degradation drowning me in sorrow.No. Ignoring Kendal was the most responsible thing to do - for both of us. If he was the type of man that wanted a girl like my sister, then with me, he was settling. He deserved better than that.We both did.H
Dana"And then there he was. His eyes as big as saucers, his lips ruby red like those shiny-ass slippers from The Wizard of Oz movie back in 1939. You should have seen him." Mrs. Delmaz laughed, her eyes closing as she relaxed against the white sheets and chuckled. "He was my favorite husband. Great guy. Really. Too bad he up and died. Old bastard."I pressed my hand to my mouth as she opened her eyes. It was hard not to giggle at her ridiculous stories. She had a million of them, and I was quickly becoming addicted to them."He sounds great."She reached out her hand. "Dana. Do you have a beau?"I took her hand and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. I knew better than to let another one of my patients into my heart, but I couldn't help it. I would always lead with my heart instead of my head where people were concerned."I did, but we broke up recently." I shrugged, hoping she would let it be."That's no good. A pretty girl like you deserves a beautiful man." She smiled and studied
KendalI dragged myself out of bed the next morning after hitting the snooze button ten times. A groan left me as my head pounded. Drinking in my thirties was hella different than drinking in my twenties, or maybe I was used to burning the liquor out of my system through sex.Something had to give. I'd have to find a different way to dull the pain. Liquor just gave a temporary reprieve only to show up the next day in a new way.The alarm went off, and I growled and walked toward the phone. "Alright. Fuck. I'm up." I turned it off and pulled my T-shirt over my head and kicked off my pants on the way to the shower.Leaving the light off, I started the hot water and got in, letting the warmth pour over my shoulders and chest. I bowed my head and ran my hands over my face as relief swam through me."God, I miss you so much," I mumbled softly and turned, putting my back to the water. Memories of Dana danced through my skull, leaving my stomach tight, my cock rock hard.I wanted to offer my