A Promise of Forever (17 page)

“He came especially to see you,” Kevin said looking at Brody.
“He wanted to welcome you, without getting in the way.
I invited him to dinner tomorrow night but now I’m not so sure that was a good idea.”

“Don’t be silly, Kevin.
Brody and I are friends and it’s always good to see him.
We are civilized toward each other; it’s not as if any hearts were broken between us.”
Kevin smiled at his sister’s insistence to avoid talking about Gianfranco.
She knew that he hadn’t been talking about Brody at all but she was doing everything to avoid talking about Gianfranco.

It was good to be back; she hugged and kissed everyone before going inside to join Kevin, who had already begun taking in the luggage.
Mrs. Footy prepared a light snack for them to eat before putting Jenny up to bed for the night.

Sylvia couldn’t wait to talk to Katelyn about the baby and all the work she had done to the nursery.
“I couldn’t wait for you to arrive.
I’m so excited about having this baby and giving Jenny a cousin.
It’s all I think about.
I drive Kevin crazy.
Tomorrow I’ll give you a tour of the nursery.
How was your trip?” she asked.

“Not bad, I never traveled that way before and believe me, I could get used to it.
Jenny, on the other hand, doesn’t want to travel any other way now,” she said laughing.
“I’m going to get even with Gianfranco for creating this monster in my daughter.”

Jenny was thrilled to be getting a cousin finally and, before kissing everybody good night, told Sylvia that.
She also touched Sylvia’s stomach and told her aunt that the baby was safe and sound.

With all the commotion of the evening and Jenny finally being put soundly to bed, Kevin and Sylvia bid Katelyn good night as well.
Everyone else had already left and now it was just her and Brody.
They were happy to see each other again and he gently pulled her into his arms and hugged her.
It was the intimacy that they shared as friends although some people had hoped differently.
Katelyn drew herself out of his embrace, even though it felt good and safe for a change.
She hadn’t had that feeling since Gianfranco had stormed into her life days before.
She learned all too quickly from that experience that he didn’t feel the same way about her anymore and that their future was a big question mark.

“What do you say you and I take a ride?
I bet you haven’t been on a horse since the last time you were here?”
He chuckled when he realized how right he was.
“I want to show you my new foal.
I think Jenny might enjoy her.”

Brody pointed toward his horse that stood tall near the oak tree.
Sure, why not?
Brody placed Katelyn up on the horse and jumped up behind her with ease.
Without saying a word, he pulled on the reins and they galloped away.
Having him close like this didn’t feel right anymore.
It was a bit inhibiting, to say the least.
The whole situation felt wrong because she was with the wrong man.

They rode for a long time before reaching Brody’s barn.
It was dark as he led her into the stall that held the foal.
Katelyn was awestruck by the beauty of the new foal.
“She’s beautiful, Brody.
You should be proud of her.”
The foal was midnight black without another hint of-color anywhere on her body.
“You should call her Ebony,” she added quite freely.

“If that’s what you think Jenny would want to call her, then that’s what she’ll be called.”
Brody took off his cowboy hat and brushed it against his leg.
The barn had suddenly become a very enclosed place.
She didn’t want Brody to get the wrong idea about them and there was no way that she would allow Jenny to accept a horse as a gift.

“I can’t allow that; you know that more than anyone.
I love you Brody but that would be too much.
I haven’t told anyone this yet, not even Kevin, but I’m getting married soon.
I’d appreciate you not telling Kevin though.
I haven’t figured out when to tell him, yet.”
She didn’t want to hurt Brody but he deserved to know now that there would be no future together for them.

“Who’s the lucky guy?” he asked, breaking the short moment of silence.
“I hope it’s not that Taylor fellow?”
Brody watched her as she struggled to tell him.
He didn’t mind that she was marrying someone else; he had never loved Katelyn in that way but he did respect her.

“I’m marrying Jenny’s father,” she said hesitantly.
Brody leaned closer so their foreheads were touching and told her he was happy for her.

“I’m happy for you.
I know how much you loved him.
For the record, we would’ve made a great team, you and me.
Not that we would have had the whole passion thing going on,” he said waving his hands in front of him.
“But we are good friends and it would have worked, don’t you agree?” he muttered softly.

“You know it.
Of course, I still have to decline the horse.
You know that, don’t you?
What would I do with a horse in New York City, anyway?” she asked slapping him teasingly on the arm.

“Tell me about him, this fiancé of yours.
I always wondered about the man you lost your heart to,” he added solemnly.

“For one thing, he’s Jenny’s father and he loves her and that’s important.
We’ll finally be able to give Jenny the family she deserves to have.”
She avoided saying the one thing he knew, from experience, that she was hiding.
She loved this guy more than anything and didn’t believe he felt the same.
Perhaps they were not so different after all; they both loved, without having that love reciprocated.

“Well, that answers a lot of my questions and the doubts I’ve had about myself.
I don’t think that you would have settled for anyone but him.
I can see it in your eyes.
Did anyone ever tell you that your eyes are the windows to your soul?
No matter what you say, I just look into your eyes and I know what you know.”
She had been told that before many times.
It hurt her to let him down but she was sure there was someone out there for Brody.

They had spent a lot of time together on the ranch and the last time she was here Brody delved deep into her soul and touched on the secrets she had kept hidden there for so long.
He knew that she loved Jenny’s father, although he never knew who he was.
When she turned down his proposal for the first time, Brody knew it was because she hoped that she and Jenny’s father would find their way back to each other.

“He’s a lucky guy.
I wonder if he appreciates what you’re offering him.
I want you to know one thing and I promise not to mention it again.
We both know that our marriage would have been one of companionship rather than anything else.
Neither of us will be pining for the other after today but I want you to know, if it doesn’t work out with Jenny’s father, my offer still stands.”
She kissed his cheek and thanked him.

Someday he would meet the woman he was destined to be with and then he would appreciate her refusal.
She was convinced that Brody hadn’t gotten married because he was so intent to settle on a fate that hadn’t been his.
She believed that he had his own secrets.
To ease the conversation between them, Katelyn started teasing him about Mary Alice, the stewardess who had a soft spot in her heart for him.

“I almost forgot about Mary Alice.
I think she was quite taken by you and she is very beautiful.
I took her number and promised to deliver it to you.
Perhaps fate is knocking and the only thing you have to do is answer the door.
Or are you going to wait until it mows you down?” she teased.

They returned to the ranch, but, this time, in a safer manner.
They took his pickup truck and she was happy that they did.
She knew horseback was Brody’s favorite past time but living in the Big Apple had left her a little rusty and her backside was killing her.
The truck came to a halt in Kevin’s driveway and, as he put it in park, she caught sight of a shadowy figure on the front porch.
At first, she thought it might be one of the ranch hands but a little voice told her it was Kevin.

Kevin was sitting with his legs crossed at the ankle when she appeared.
His hands folded in his lap and his eyes were full of questions.
“You want to tell me, what’s going on?” he asked, as he dangled Jenny’s necklace in his hand.

“I’m not sure what you’re getting at.
Could you be a little clearer with your question?” she announced unsteadily.

Kevin was annoyed with her as the coloring on his face faded.
“I don’t want to beat around the bush, Kate.
I’m a little confused and I need you to be honest with me.
Where did you get this?” he asked, once again holding the necklace up in the air as if it were the answer to all his questions.

In his hand he held the teakwood ring dangling on a chain that she had worn everyday for years beneath her clothes.
Gianfranco had given her that ring when she was eighteen years old, right after he had made love to her for the very first time.
She remembered that night with clarity.
She often wrote about it in her journal so she could cherish the feeling forever.
She wanted to capture the moment and never forget it.
She wasn’t ready to share it with Kevin.
She thought about her journal...

August 2004

I didn’t believe in love at first sight before now.
Yet, these past weeks spent with Gianfranco have taught me so much.
I’m in love with Gianfranco Broccolini with all my heart and soul.
I wish for the world what I have with him.
Who would have thought that I would want to share the rest of my life with one of Kevin’s best friends? But then, who better?
I can’t share this wonderful news with Kevin; it’s too soon.
He would absolutely freak if he knew that Gianfranco had made love to me. It would make the situation very uncomfortable for all of us.
I’ll tell him but only if Gianfranco proposes to me and the time is right.
I think then, that Kevin would forgive us for keeping this secret from him and for postponing my trip to California, for now.

That was an innocent time for Katelyn.
She knew now that nothing was as it seemed.
She reached over and took the ring from Kevin, shaking her head and trying to make light of it.
“It’s only a ring, Kevin.
I gave it to Jenny years ago and I’m not even sure where I got it,” she answered fastidiously.

Kevin knew she was lying to him; for now, he’d let it go.
He touched the ring she held in her hand again and studied Katelyn’s expression.
He didn’t think for a minute that she understood the significance of the ring or that he understood its meaning.
From the look on her face, he had no doubt in his mind that she never realized the meaning behind Gianfranco giving her that ring.
He knew it was Gianfranco’s ring, he had seen Jake’s hanging around his neck often enough.

Katelyn watched Kevin as he played his father role, the one he played so well.
She wished she could tell him the truth but he’d never understand.
He wouldn’t understand the marriage of convenience that she was about to embark on either.
From his perspective, it had to look as if she had lost control of her life.
First, there was Adam, then Brody, and now Gianfranco.
She wondered what he must think of her.
“
He must think I’m crazy
.”

“I want you to know that I hate keeping secrets from you.
I know it seems crazy right now but I promise, Kevin, this will all make sense soon enough.”
She sat down next to him, reached out and took his hand in hers.

“I have one question and then I’ll leave you alone,” he said glimpsing into her eyes.
He knew he had to stop seeing the young girl she used to be.
She was a grown woman and he had to stop treating her like his little sister.
He had always felt the need to protect her because she had no one else to do that for her, until now.
“Did Gianfranco give you that ring?”

There must have been something he saw in her eyes long before she said the words because he didn’t seem surprised to hear her answer.
It was barely a whisper but she answered his question.
“Yes,” she said.

He reached over to her, hugged her tightly and then said good night.
It was as simple as that, as though the answer to that one question answered so many others.