Remember Love

by Jessica Nelson

www.jessicanelson.net

REMEMBER LOVE

by Jessica Nelson

Copyright ©
JESSICA NELSON

ISBN-13:
978-0-9895329-0-7

Cover Art
Designed by Justin Fowler

This is a work of
fiction. Names, places, characters and events are fictitious in every regard.
Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely
coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features
are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only
for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.
All rights reserved. Except for use in review, the reproduction of this work in
any format is prohibited and constitutes a copyright violation.

Many thanks to
my family and friends, for always supporting me! Thank you Linda Glaz and Anita
Howard, who read this story years ago and encouraged me to keep working on it. Thanks
to Blue Mountain Editorial for your valuable input.

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he
not quench: he shall bring forth judgment to truth.--
Isaiah
42:3

PROLOGUE

A father
should never leave his family
.

Kitty bit her lip
at the thought and followed her friend Alec through the woods toward the
private pond they liked to raid for crappie. The night clung to her, a damp
coat that moistened her hair until it plastered in ticklish tendrils against
her neck. She ignored an urge to push the hair away and traipsed through the
forest instead, careful to keep close behind Alec. He gripped their fishing
poles in one hand and swung a stick through the humid air like a pirate raiding
the enemy’s camp.

If she stayed
near him, he’d promised to keep the spider webs out of her way. They were hard
to see in the blackness, with only a sliver of moon reaching through the trees
to light the path.

She hauled Alec’s
tackle box closer to her side. The woods around her rustled quietly, as if
trying to soothe the torment burning in her chest.

How could Dad
have just up and left? A kiss on her cheek, a promise he’d call. Did he think eleven
year olds were dumb? Her fingers tightened around the tackle box’s handle until
the split plastic edges bit into her skin.

And Mom hadn’t
said a word. Cold as a dead trout, like usual. The lids of Kitty's eyes
prickled and she blinked. Rising above the night insects, the gentle swish of
lake water lapping at grassy shoreline reached her ears.

She swallowed
hard and trudged after Alec, coming into a moonlit clearing. Her tennis shoes
squished into the muddy grass, making a sucking noise. She set the box down.

Alec propped the
poles against the tackle box and grinned over at her. "You chose a great
night for fishing." His eyes flashed beneath the moon, a peculiar gold
color he said must come from his father.

Not that he knew
the guy. No one knew who Alec’s father was, not even his mom. Kitty squatted
down and moved the poles to open up the box.

"You want a
bobber?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. No way she wanted him
to see her cry, even if he was her best friend. After Rachel, of course. She
dug through the bobbers and picked one out for him.

"Thanks."
He grabbed it from her, quick and sure.

"Do you
think we’ll catch a lot?"

"It’s a
bright moon. We have a chance."

"How’d you
get away?" Sometimes his mom was passed out drunk and he could do whatever
he wanted. Other times, things weren’t so easy.

"She was out
by four."

"That’s
good." She fumbled for a split-shot sinker and then swiped the pliers so
she could pinch the sinker on her line.

"How about
your mom?" Alec’s voice came out muffled. He was already busy biting his
line.

"Sleeping."
Mom never stayed up past nine. She woke up early for her job at school.

They worked
quietly, falling into a familiar rhythm while frogs plopped in and out of the
water and crickets chirped around them. Occasionally, a fish flopped and
punctuated the unbroken night with a splash.

Once they had
their lines in the water, the memory of dad’s news gripped her in a
throat-closing clutch. Should she tell Alec? Even though they hung out a lot,
they didn’t talk about much personal stuff. He was a grade older. This year
he’d be going to middle school, leaving her behind.

Just like dad.

Feeling a pout
trembling on her lips, she forced the thought aside and sat down on their bait
bucket. The pole rested between her thighs, as still as the night.

She wanted to
tell someone though. Maybe Rachel in the morning? But right now Rachel would be
asleep. Her mom would freak out if a friend called in the middle of the night.
That left Alec.

She glanced at
his profile. He might understand. She sucked in her cheeks, chewed on them
while she thought about it.

"Your mom
would have a fit if she saw you doing that." He didn’t even turn to look
at her.

Face hot, she
stopped the nervous habit. "You won’t tell her."

"’Course not.
Your mom’s scary." He grinned when he said it, so she knew he wasn’t
really afraid.

"She’s
weird." Kitty watched the soft ebb and flow of the lake, how it crept up
the surface of the grass then fell back, as if unsure of the new territory
beneath its depths.

"My dad left
us," she blurted out. The lake blurred in front of her.

Alec didn’t
respond at first, but it seemed as though a hushed silence fell. Maybe her loud
voice had startled all the bugs. She couldn’t look at Alec to see what he
thought, so she looked down at her hands. She hated crying. Hated that he might
see her do it. But he wouldn’t tell anyone.

She could trust
him.

His palm slid
over her clamped fists. The touch was light, kind of strange. He’d never
touched her like that before. Usually he just clapped her on the shoulder or
they fist bumped when something good happened, like him getting a B on yesterday’s
math test.

She drew away and
swiped at her eyes. "It’s not like he’s ever home anyway. Now he says he
got a job in Nevada. He’ll earn lots of money so I can have whatever I want at
Christmas." Her voice broke. "Like I care."

Alec squatted in
front of her, face intent. "He’ll come back. He loves you."

"No, he
doesn’t. All he cares about is money."

"Money’s
important. I’m going to make tons of it when I grow up."

She studied his
face, disdain rising up in her like the river after a hard rain. "Money
isn’t more important than your own kid."

"I didn’t
say that. Maybe he only wants a better life for you and your mom."

Shaking her head,
she looked over his shoulder, to where moonlight rippled on the lake’s surface.
"I think he wants a better life for himself."

"Look at me,
Kitty."

Reluctantly she
focused on him. Alec and his golden eyes. His mouth dipped at the corners and
she could tell he felt bad for her. Normally that would annoy her.

Not tonight.

"Things will
be okay," he said, his gaze daring her to disagree.

"It’s just
strange to think of him not there anymore. All he does when he’s home is watch TV
or fight with mom. But sometimes he makes me stuff." She thought of the
little frog he’d carved with his knife. It sat on her dresser, a misshapen lump
that reminded her of an hour spent talking with dad. That strange constriction
moved down her throat to squeeze her chest. "He said mom argues too much.
That he can’t live with someone who’s always picking a fight."

"I’m sorry,
Kitty."

She shrugged a
slow, painful shrug. Above her, clouds drifted across the sky, gliding in front
of the moon and darkening Alec’s face. "Do you think there’s a God up
there?"

"Sometimes.
When mom says she’s going to quit drinking and is sober for a day, I start to
believe."

Kitty followed
his line of vision upwards. "I think He doesn’t care about any of us, if
He’s there. We’re like ants to Him."

A depressing
weight settled on her shoulders. She hunched over, wanting to cry, wanting to
hug Alec and scream like a baby.

But he was a boy.
He wouldn’t like his fishing buddy to turn girly on him. So she sucked back the
ache ripping across her chest, took a deep breath, and gave him a trembling
smile. "You’re probably right. Things will be fine. I have mom and Rachel."

"And me."
Alec rose up on his knees so that they were eye to eye. "You still have
me."

Then he did the
weirdest thing ever, and she felt powerless to resist. He leaned forward,
pulled her into his wiry, boyish embrace, and put his head near hers. The
sounds of the night around them didn’t conceal his fervent whisper. "I’ll
never leave you, Kitty. Never."

CHAPTER
ONE

Ten years after
Alec left Kitty weeping in the church's storage room, he roared back into his
hometown on a Harley. Loathe to crawl through the tourist trap like one of the
locals, he sped in to Manatee Bay but was forced to stop at the red light that
hadn't been there ten years ago.

He braked to a stop,
feeling an absurd need to grin. Absurd because he'd left here planning to never
come back. People had been happy to see him go.

His smile
broadened. Even if no one welcomed him home, he could feel content knowing he
was going to invest in his hometown. Traffic lights in Manatee Bay, Florida
meant one thing.

The town of his
childhood was growing.

All the more
reason for him to snag the property while prices were good. He balanced his
bike and studied his surroundings with a practiced eye. Sunlight beat against
his shoulders and the humidity coaxed a bead of sweat to trickle down the back
of his neck. The four-lane road, cluttered with cars heading home from work,
shone asphalt black beneath the sun. Recently paved. And old Henry's feed store
sported a fresh coat of glistening white paint.

Yep. Opportunities
to make money abounded here. Grant had been right. Manatee Bay was ripe for new
business.
Especially one as addictive as Roasted, a
premier company offering fresh, top quality coffee that gave the bigger
coffee chains some serious competition.

The light turned
green and he accelerated, tempted to cut between cars meandering home.
Slowpokes. He'd forgotten about the laidback atmosphere of a small town until a
few minutes ago. After landing in Orlando yesterday, he'd headed to the hotel
and worked on contracts until evening. Today his meeting with Uncle Frank's
investor had gone long. He bit back a surge of impatience.

Did Kitty live in
Manatee Bay anymore? Would her mom be at the store? He rolled on the throttle,
wanting to reach the store before it closed.

The brake lights
on the Kia in front of him flashed and he slowed down. A car lingered beside
him for a moment, checking him out. Alec scowled. Surely people in this town
owned motorcycles now.

He slid the
driver a look from behind his helmet visor. The balding man peered at him then
passed by. Alec grimaced. At least he wouldn't see many people from his class
until the reunion. From the looks of things, there were plenty of newcomers to
this small place. Maybe no one would recognize him. Maybe all the details of
his past lay forgotten beneath the onslaught of tourists and growth.

With that hope in
mind, he slowed and turned left, pulling into a square parking lot off the main
road. About five cars parked beneath the pizza store's awning. This property
would be an excellent investment. Great location, easy access. He took in the
small, rectangular building. Right now it housed two stores. Not for long if he
had his way. He slid into the spot in front of Kat's Korner bookstore.

And frowned.

It might be tough
dealing with the old lady. She wouldn't remember him kindly. He doubted she
remembered anyone kindly. Once she knew her store needed to move, she’d really
hate him.

Not that he
cared. Too much.

Swinging his leg
over the bike, his boots thudded against the asphalt. He hung his helmet on the
bike handles and strode toward the tiny bookstore, forcing himself to appear
confident.

He persuaded
unwilling owners to sell all the time. He could face Kitty's mom. She didn’t
have a choice anyway. The deal was practically finished.

Usually he wouldn’t
meet the lessee of a property, but for Ms. Ross’s bookstore he wanted to have a
glance around. Itched to examine the layout of the store, the structure. Maybe
get some news about Kitty. See if she was happily married, with kids and the
picket-fenced house she'd always wanted so she could have a garden safe from
foraging animals.

Or maybe she’d
indulged her other dream to travel Europe. In that case, she might be long gone
from this Hicksville.

Meaning she might
not be married…

Throat dry, he
pushed the door open and stepped into Kat’s Korner. Musty, bookish scents
greeted him. The odor of paper mixed with some soft fragrance he couldn't
identify. He closed the door and looked around.

A comfortably
untidy atmosphere pervaded the place. The couch near the window beside him
looked inviting, with its plush pillows and deep cushions. The wall shelves
bulged with books. A richly hued sea-green granite topped the front counter.
Very nice. It would be a shame if that got ripped out of the wall. He'd have to
find a way to save it.

He strode forward
then stopped when the woman at the desk looked up. A cascade of dusky brown
curls floated around her pale features. Numbness started working its way
through him, tingling in his hands, rooting his feet to the floor.

"Hello,
Kitty." His jaw felt so tight the words barely slipped through his lips.
He kept his voice low and watched as her shoulders stiffened. The afternoon sun
slanted in from the windows behind him and cast her face into shadow, but the
darkness didn’t hide the circles beneath her eyes or the way her fingers fisted
against her side.

"Alec. . ."
She studied him, her gaze roving over him, expression unreadable.

He clenched his
jaw against words that piled on the tip of his tongue. She wasn't supposed to
be at the bookstore. The paperwork said Ms. Ross owned Kat's Korner. It figured
she would’ve recruited her daughter to work the register. He should have
prepared himself to see Kitty here, standing behind the counter wearing glasses
identical to the ones she’d gotten in eighth grade.

Somehow he
persuaded his legs to cover the distance to her register in three long strides.
She hadn't escaped this tourist town, after all.

She peered up at
him, eyes wide behind thick-rimmed glasses.

"You’re
looking as owlish as ever," he blurted, then mentally kicked himself. Ten
years later and he used the childhood description she’d hated? Real smart.

Her gray eyes
flashed silver. "Why are you here?"

"A man's
entitled to come to his class reunion." He wanted to touch her, to see if
she was real and not the dream that used to wake him in the middle of the
night. To see if her dark hair still felt like fine silk.

He frowned at the
thought. Forget about her hair. She was probably married by now. He snuck a
look at her ring finger. Empty. A strange relief flooded his body and his
shoulders relaxed. A ridiculous reaction. Too much time had passed. He needed
to ignore this inane response. It had nothing to do with buying the building.

She
had nothing
to do with his life now.

"You didn’t
come to the five year reunion," she said. She’d skipped a grade in middle
school, catching up to him and giving them the same graduation date.

"Didn’t know
we had one."

"No one
could find you." Kitty’s voice sounded hard. Not the soft velvet he
remembered.

Her tone annoyed
him, brought out bitterness he’d thought had faded with time. "Just
thought I’d look around. Slaving away for your mother still?"

She blinked,
hurt.

His gut clenched.
Kitty had always been sensitive about her mother’s character.

"I’m sorry."
He couldn’t quite work his mouth into a smile. Instead, he reached for her
hair. The scent of it hovered in the air. Vanilla.

At the last
moment, he stopped himself. So many years apart meant he didn’t have the right
to touch her dark curls. Didn’t have the right to remember a dream he'd
abandoned.

She fumbled with
papers on the counter. Clutched them to her chest like a lifeline. "If
there’s nothing you need, I should put these away." One hand waved through
the air, and a loose sheet of paper fluttered to the floor beside Alec.

Before he could
grab it, she rounded the counter and plucked it off the tiled floor. She set
the papers on the counter, next to a bright red book.

Needing a way to
soften the atmosphere, Alec picked up the book. Something about overcoming
grief. "Do you think books like this really help people?"

"Yes."
The firmness of her answer caught Alec’s attention. He watched her closely as
she snatched it from him and, leaning forward, set it back on the shelf. She
was only inches from him. He could reach out and touch her shoulder, run his
fingers through her hair. So close, and yet everything about her screamed
back-off.

"Really,
Alec, if there’s nothing I can help you with, then I should get back to work."

"I think
I’ll look around."

Kitty’s eyes
rounded behind her thick glasses. She skirted away, back to safety behind the
counter. Same old Kitty. Evading conflict.

And yet, she
appeared to have changed in a subtle way. Seeing her so thin and vulnerable
shocked him. He'd imagined her as an older version of the girl he'd known.
Peaceful. Calm, if a little timid. Not this pale wraith of a woman. Pain etched
her features, shadowed her gray eyes, not making her less beautiful, but
changing her nonetheless.

What had happened
to her?

Her mother?
Perhaps. The elder Katrina Ross had always been bitter and mean, quick to spite
her only daughter.

His fingers
tapped the counter. The granite felt cool beneath his fingertips. "Has
your mother owned this place for long?"

"It’s mine." 
She glanced up from the receipt drawer. "I’ve had it five years."

He straightened,
focusing on Kitty’s face, noting the new lines and smudged shadows. She owned
it, but that wasn’t enough reason to change his plans. "How's business?"

She paused
organizing the receipts. What had prompted him to ask that? Afraid to meet his
gaze, she fiddled with the papers. "Business is fine."

She pushed a
stray curl behind her ear, praying Alec would leave soon. Handsome and broad, he
dwarfed her little bookstore and reminded her of things better left in the
past.

Like the touch of
his skin against hers, the softness of their first kiss…

She shoved the
receipts into their respective files with more force than necessary. When she
looked up, he was frowning.

"You still
live here, in Hicksville." His tone questioned as he stepped closer.

Katrina was glad
the counter separated them, glad she was not close enough to see the peculiar
gold-flecks in his hazel eyes or to feel the virility he wore like a finely
tailored jacket.

She swallowed,
hardly able to look at him without wanting to weep. The way his hair hung over
his brow, a bit too long, wild, the slanted shape of his eyes . . . every part
of his face looked like Joey. The knowledge tore through her, ripping at the
ragged edges of a wound not yet healed.

She gulped a deep
breath, willing the aching sorrow to pass, at least until she could get home to
safety.

Focus.

A bit steadier,
she dared to look up.

He watched her,
eyes narrowed. His shoulders were broader, his voice deeper, but the way he
moved, the scent of his cologne . . . The years melted away and she was
seventeen again.

Ensnared in a
love gone horribly wrong with a boy everyone had warned her couldn't be trusted.

"You okay,
Kitty?"

She backed up a
step, bumping into the wall behind her. "My name is Katrina and I like it
here in Hickstown."

The corners of
his lips lifted. "Ville."

"Whatever."
She shoved her trembling hands into the pockets of her faded Levi’s. "I’m
not the same girl you dated in high school. Judging by those lines around your
eyes, I’d guess you’re different too."

She studied his
leaner features, the cheekbones that seemed more prominent, harder, edgier than
before. "I’ve heard you were in real estate at the right time." She
looked past him, struggling to forget the past, knowing it was impossible. A
shiny motorcycle hugged the curb in front of her store.

"Nice bike.
Looks expensive." Her tone came out more snide than she’d intended.
Haughty to cover her torturous fear.

Alec's features
darkened. "It’s worth more than your store."

"Maybe in
dollars." She pursed her lips. He was still as competitive as ever. Get
him angry and he'd leave. She'd learned that ten years ago. "Your ego’s
the same."

"And you’re
just as disorganized."

Offense prickled
through her. "My shop is perfect."

Alec squinted and
annoyance tugged at the corners of his mouth. Good. He'd always hated to be
contradicted. A tic cramped his eyelid and if she weren't so desperate for his
departure, his stress might make her feel some pity.

"Your books
don’t appear to be in any type of alphabetical order. They’re shelved randomly.
And look," he picked up a novel and stuck it in her face. "This has
two prices on it." When she rolled her eyes, he smirked. "You’re in
the red, aren’t you?"

"That is
absolutely none of your business." The muscles at the back of her neck
tightened. "So you’re here for the reunion. Why’d you come to the store?
You've made it clear you don't want anything to do with me."

Alec stepped away
from her. It was as if a mask slid over his features, exposing him for the
stranger he now was. "Business brings me to town and curiosity brought me
to your store."

The doorbell
jingled. Katrina exhaled with relief. Sharon, former schoolmate turned
employee, stepped into the store, her heels clicking against the entryway
tiles. The door shut behind her.

Now was the time
to get rid of Alec, before the emotions rocketing through her combusted. "Did
you get to the bank before it closed?"

Wordlessly,
Sharon stared at the back of Alec's head. He pivoted as Katrina slid out from
behind the counter. Sharon’s quiet eyes widened with shock.