It All Started With a Lima Bean (49 page)

“Oh wow, where are my manners? These are my friends…Lisa, Shannon, and Tori. We’re here for a ladies’ weekend retreat.”

The girls continued to look up in amazement. Chris looked as handsome as ever. His breathtaking physique defined itself beneath his tight black T-shirt. They sputtered and stammered their hellos. He politely smiled, but his eyes quickly diverted and caught my gaze. Those same dark eyes that melted my heart more than eight years ago were searching mine. I hoped my friends weren’t aware of the pounding in my chest. The awkward, yet intimate moment stirred emotions in me that I had not felt in many years.

“Well, I guess I better get back to the stage. The boys are ready to play again.” Chris smiled amiably at my friends. His eyes caught mine, and he beamed that same wide grin that once made my heart turn flips in my chest.

“Okay.” I grinned back, trying to suppress the feeling that was welling up inside of me. “I’ll see you around.”

I watched Chris walk back toward the stage. Shaking my head in disbelief, I looked back at the girls sitting around the table. They all gaped at me in wide-eyed astonishment.

“What?” I blinked my eyes innocently.

“Who. Was. That?!” Lisa asked, emphasizing every word.

I shrugged indifferently. “Oh, that was just a guy I knew from high school.”

“No, Kaitlyn,” Tori remarked emphatically, looking over my shoulder. “That was not
just
a guy.”

“Yeah.” Shannon stared in his direction, bewildered. “Wow.”

“Guys!” I snapped. “Stop staring, okay? He really was just a guy I knew from high school…who I happened to be in love with at the time.”

“Whoa, I bet that was a blast from the past!” Lisa exclaimed.

I sighed. “Yeah, something like that.” I looked down at the trembling hands resting in my lap. I had no idea that seeing him would stir up so many emotions in the pit of my stomach.

“Oh honey,” Shannon patted my shoulder. Finishing her sentence seemed unnecessary. I felt her sympathy.

The rest of the night blurred by as my mind focused on the tranquilizing voice that poured from the speakers. Once in a while, I would sneak a peek toward the stage. I could feel his eyes settling on me, even in the darkness.

His voice, gravelly and breathless behind the microphone, felt warm and comforting like a soft blanket on a cool night. The quiver in my stomach and the tremble of my hands were evidence of the effect that Chris had on me. Ashamed, I tried in vain to hide my anguish. Occasionally, Shannon would pat my hand, out of sight from the rest of the girls. I smiled meekly at her as she nodded her head with understanding.

“So, are you guys ready to call it a night?” Shannon’s eyes looked tired as she sipped her last Cosmo.

We all agreed, began to gather our purses, and stood up to leave.

“Kaitlyn,” Chris spoke from behind me again.

The deep sound of his voice startled me, and I dropped my keys.

“Oh, sorry,” he said as he quickly bent down to pick them up.

“It’s okay. I’m not usually so clumsy.”

His fingers brushed mine as he handed them back to me. The tingle from his touch radiated up my arm. I heard a nervous giggle escape from my lips. My hand flew up and covered my mouth, and I immediately felt embarrassed.

“You really made my night,” Chris declared with a crooked grin. “I can’t believe it’s been eight years.”

“Me neither.”

“See you again tomorrow night?” he asked. “I mean, let’s not let another eight years go by.”

“Absolutely,” I agreed without thinking. “We’ll be here all weekend. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

“Great!” he replied, flashing his perfect smile at me.

As hard as I tried not to notice, Chris looked absolutely magnificent. His shirt clung to his well-formed chest. His dark hair had been spiked and gelled in a hot sexy mess. The smoldering intensity of his eyes staring into mine sent chills rippling through my body. “I look forward to it,” he eagerly admitted.

I could barely contain the elation in my voice. “I just can’t believe it’s really you.” Without thinking, I reached out to hug him. He initially seemed shocked, but welcomed the embrace.

He enveloped me in his arms and whispered into my ear, “I’ve never forgotten you.”

His breath was hot against my cheek. I inhaled the mixed aroma of aftershave and breath mints as I tried to burn his scent into my memory. A breath escaped my lungs and lodged in my throat
. ‘I’m a married woman
,’ I rebuked myself. Quickly, I pulled away from him and practically ran to catch up to my friends.

“Oh my goodness, girl! Tell us everything!” Lisa exclaimed as we walked into the living room of our condo.

I shrugged my shoulders. “What’s there to tell?”

Shannon spoke up. “Well, for starters, did you see the way he looked at you? And, did you see the way he looked in that shirt? Wow!”

I laughed solicitously. While these girls were my closest friends, I didn’t feel emotionally prepared to rehash the history I had with Chris, nor did I feel strong enough to reopen old wounds I had spent years trying to heal.

“C’mon, Kaitlyn. Give us the scoop,” Tori whined. “We want to know about this hot mystery guy.”

I sighed, preparing myself for the heartrending wave of emotion I knew I was about to experience by divulging the intimate details of my past. I knew if I was going to tell them about Chris, I would have to start my story from the very beginning—a beginning that I would rather delete entirely from my memory. My history with Chris actually began with Trevor, my all-star athlete ex-boyfriend, who was also known as Jenkins County’s hometown hero.

My mind, as it creaked open the lid of the proverbial can of worms, drifted back to a time and place I had only allowed myself to visit in my dreams. It returned to a time and place before that girl I once knew well, but barely recognized anymore, had sped away in her fully packed VW Jetta with hope to start a new life in college.

What happens when you find the one person who completes you, and then life conspires against you? How do you set your grief and anguish aside? How do you pick up the shattered pieces, put those pieces back together again, and try to move on?

Katie and Tripp met on the playground the first day of third grade when Tripp tried to rescue Katie from Zack, her twin brother. A lifelong friendship that later blossomed into love began that day.

Broken beyond her own ability to repair, Katie boxes her grief up and attempts to raise her three girls the best she can on her own. As time slowly passes, Katie relives her times with Tripp while struggling most days to even get out of bed. She is reminded of him at every turn.

Zack is Katie’s twin brother and was Tripp’s best friend. Having lost his own love, he dedicates himself to helping Katie put her life back together. Throw in a mother-in-law who torments at every turn and poor Katie can’t even find a chance to breathe, much less a desire to somehow search for tomorrow.

Who is Tripp, you ask? Well, that is fairly easy to explain. Tripp was my best friend, my lover, my confidant, my soul mate. He was the salt to my pepper. He was the peanut butter to my chocolate. He gave me love and hope and joy. Together we created our three beautiful girls and together we looked at the world as ours to conquer. In short, he was my other half; the part that completed me.

Tripp and I met in 1992. It was the first day of the new school year and we were starting the third grade. Mom had made me wear this frilly pink dress and these hideous pink and white ribbons in my hair. During recess, all the kids went out to the playground for recess. The tire swing was my favorite thing to play on. Tripp saw me fighting with a boy who was trying to take the tire swing from me and decided he would come rescue me. He had no idea that the boy he rescued me from was my twin brother Zack who was quite used to trading punches with me. He quickly learned that fact when I joined forces with Zack to ‘take that little twerp down’! From that day forward Zack, Tripp and I were inseparable. Like Tripp always said, “If you can’t beat them, join them!” He introduced himself to us as Channing, and we let him keep that name for a short while. The change from Channing to Tripp was just the beginning of the start of our new life together.

Although I wrote this book, I can not take full credit. It literally takes an
entire
team of people to get a novel ready for publication. I pray I don’t forget anyone because I am grateful to every single person that took the time to help me fulfill my dream.

I honestly do not know how this book would have ever been finished without the help of my beautiful critique partner in crime and friend,
Jessica Loise
. This girl spent hour upon hour upon hour combing through my entire manuscript while she was writing her own. Many words in this book are in fact from her. I couldn’t imagine taking this journey without her and our friendship is one that I treasure everyday.

I don’t even know how to express my thanks to
Melanie Dawn
. She blew my mind several times with suggestions she had to add that extra special something. She also has found a secret weapon to keep me on the phone for hours when I’m not normally a phone talker. I cherish those conversations and our friendship dearly.

Katie Mac
or as we call her “Mighty Mac” is a total rock star and there isn’t much she doesn’t do in this indie writing world. She is my editor, beta captain, goodreads librarian and I’m blessed to call her friend as well. If you do not know her, then you truly are missing out.

A special thanks to
Erika Ashby
(my ACA-MAZING friend with ninja skills
)
and
Nichele Reece
for partnering with me to create the raddest (yes I said raddest) indie writer’s support group, “Indie Chixx”. Many happy moments and not so happy were shared during our writing journeys. All you chixx know how much I adore you and I am thankful for everything we have experienced together this past year.
JL, Beverley, Jaime, Megan, Elaine, Tania, Nacole, Kelsie, Rebecca, Lisa, Ana, Val, Jaimi, Mary, Laura, & Kim.

There are several writer “gals” that have also walked with me, side by side at different points whether through “word wars/sprinting”, words of encouragement, advice, jokes, phone conversations, talking me out of throwing it all away, selflessly promoting me and offering good old friendship. There is no way I can add everyone on here though, that would be a whole other novel but I
must
name these ladies.
Anne Leigh
(Portos here we come!),
Mel Ballew
(serious LUFF for ya girl and your poetic words!)
Audrey Harte
(
Best
hugger
ever
!)
, Kimberly Knight, Amanda Stone, Lynetta Halat, Bethany Lopez, Kimberly Russell, Kate Mathias, Melanie Stinnett, Mary Wasowski, Cary Haywood, MR Joseph, Samantha Fontien, Antoinette Candela, Heather Gunter and Alison Bailey
.