Finding Home

Chapter Nine

         He was right on time and she wasn’t all that pleased by the fact.  She’d been running around all day trying to get her life moved from Detroit to Lilac Grove without making a trip back to Detroit.  She’d also spent a good portion of the day trying to convince her ever-busy parents to free up a few days and come meet the Kapshaws.
         She’d been a little more successful at the first than the last and now was running late.  “Hold on,” she called, quickly pulling on the midnight blue sweater and the flattering black pants that she always wore on her occasional date.
         She gave herself a cursory glance in the mirror and figured she could do without makeup or fussing with her hair.  If she spent too much time on her looks, she would probably give Kyle the wrong idea.
         She answered the door all but ready except socks.  “Hi.”
         He smiled that dazzling smile.  “Hi.  I got that timetable for you.”  He held out a manila folder.
         She took it eagerly.  “Good news I hope?”  She walked towards the back of the small hotel room, Kyle following her closing the door behind him.
         “I think you’ll be pleased.  If all goes right and my crew works extra hard, we could have you up and running by May.”
         “That’s fantastic!” Deborah said, excitement rushing through her.  Her very own office.  Her very own life and it felt more like a life than Detroit ever had since she’d finished law school.
         “I’m glad you’re happy.  Ready to go?”
         Looking up from the proposed timetable she was taken out of her reverie.  “Oh, right.  Yeah, just need socks.”
         “Okay.”
         “So, when do you think I’ll be able to sign the contracts?” she asked, pulling on some socks quickly.
         He laughed.  “I’m sorry, Deborah, but tonight we are not talking about business.  This is a date and contracts, time tables, etc are officially off the table.”
         Deborah pouted.  “You brought it up.”
         “Yes, you’re right.  And, I’m bringing it… down.  Get your things, let’s go.”
         She narrowed her eyes.  “I don’t take kindly to being bossed around.”
         He smiled obligingly.  “Then please get your things.  I’m starved.”
         Frowning, Deborah gathered her coat and purse and slipped on her shoes.  “All right, I’m ready.”
         He looked nice, she noticed.  He seemed to be unable to look dirty or even a bit of a mess.  It was a little weird, but then again Kyle was a little weird.  Everything about him was different than any other man she had…dated.  She guessed she could call what they were doing dating, though it wasn’t exactly a term she was all that comfortable with.
         His truck was big and ungainly and he had to offer her a hand to climb up onto the stair to get in.
         “Is this thing really necessary?”
         He chuckled.  “I need it to haul things.  I’m in construction after all.”
         Deborah surveyed the truck doubtfully as Kyle skirted the front and climbed in himself. 
         “I don’t think I quite believe you.”
         Kyle grinned.  “Women just don’t get it.  Do you like Italian?”
         Deborah nodded, pulling her seatbelt down across her chest.  “I didn’t realize there was an Italian restaurant in Lilac Grove.”
         “There’s not, we’ll have to drive over to Gwenview.  I thought we could have dinner and then maybe stop by this place called Nicks.  Logan and Evie’s band are playing there tonight.”
         “Oh, that would be fantastic,” Deborah said, enthusiasm lighting her features.  “I have been dying to hear them more since the wedding." 
         The ride, dinner, everything was so… easy.  Kyle just had an easy, adaptable nature about him.  Hadn’t she seen that from the beginning?  She’d just been too busy trying to fight with it to notice.
         After dinner, they drove to Nick's to listen to Logan and Evie play.  Though the conversation had been continual and interesting, they were both quiet when Evie and Logan began to play and sing.  Their young voices drifted together to make heartbreaking sadness, passionate love, or excited pulsing rock.
         During the band’s whole set; Kyle and Deb barely shared a word.  In fact, nearly every patron was wrapped up in the music—whether quietly listening or dancing to the varying beats, Evie and Logan held everyone’s attention.
         The band took a short break and Deborah could only sigh.  “I can’t get over them.”
         “Amazing, I know,” Kyle said, a strange sadness in his voice.
         “Just kids,” Deb muttered, ignoring Kyle’s distracted aura.  “I can’t imagine what they’ll sound like as adults.”
         “Hard to believe they can get any better, but I imagine they will.  Apparently, Evie’s an even better artist—painting, photography, sculpture, you name it.  But, music is her passion.”
         Deb grinned.  “Logan talks about her non-stop, huh?”
         Kyle chuckled.  “Young love, hard to duplicate.”  The odd saddened look resurfaced, though his eyes stayed on the stage.  “It’s a shame, Evie plans to go off to New York when they graduate.  Logan says he might go with her, but his true love is that farm.”
         Deb surveyed the young couple, laughing together as they got situated for their next step. “Don’t think they’ll make it?”
         Kyle looked back at her.  “Who knows?  I suppose if any seventeen-year olds can, it’s them.”
         Deborah nodded, but Kyle’s sadness spread.  Suppose they did manage to stick together, wouldn’t it be at the cost at one of the two’s dreams?  Deborah shook her head, focused back in the band as they started their new set with a loud rock song.
         Kyle and Deborah sat through the next set before deciding to go home. Though nerves had eluded Deb all evening, the quiet truck ride back to her hotel was unnerving.  She had forgotten this was a date, and now that they were alone, the pressure of that very fact was very tangible.
         She hadn’t expected him to get out when he stopped in front of the hotel.  Or, maybe she was hoping he wouldn’t get out.  Yes, walking her in was the polite, gentlemanly thing to do, but what if he expected something in return?
         He met her at the passenger side and offered a hand as she climbed down.  “Well, thanks for dinner,” Deb offered, hoping to cut him off at the pass.
         “I’ll walk you up,” Kyle replied in return, casually locking his fingers with hers.
         “Oh, um, thanks.”  Heart beating abnormally in her chest, Deb walked up the stairs into the hotel lobby.  Kyle’s touch made her jumpy, the simple, innocent touching of palm to palm was in no way relaxing.  As they walked up the stairs to her room, Deb felt her stomach tighten in knots.  It was such a contrast to the rest of the evening that she was almost surprised by it.
         “Well, thanks, I had a nice time,” Deb said firmly in front of her door.
         “Me too.  Does that mean you’re going to let me take you out again?”
         Deborah smiled, fighting the distraction of nerves.  “Yeah, I guess so.”
         Kyle chuckled, and Deb wanted to bolt.  It felt like her first date, not just with Kyle, but ever.  She was nothing but a jumble of crazy nerves and the adolescent pull of will he or won’t he.
         Kyle leaned in and Deb felt her mind go absolutely blank.  Lightly, but with enough spark to have her eyes fluttering closed, Kyle brushed his lips across hers.
         “Night, Deb.”          
         Deb swallowed throat a dry thought.  “Night.”