Chapter 7

Over the next few days, Kyle and I looked for a car at the dealerships after he got off work. Dad told me I could have a new car or a used one. After looking at dozens of cars and SUV-style vehicles, I decided on a Ford Explorer. When Kyle and I took Dad to the dealership to see the SUV, he talked me into the Expedition. When I asked him why Dad had me drive one right after driving an Explorer.

“You’re right, Dad. The Expedition does ride much better,” I told him as we pulled back into the dealership. “What do you think, Kyle?”

Kyle was sitting behind me in the backseat. He leaned forward and said, “I like this truck.”

“Me too.” I turned to my dad. “I’ll take it if it’s okay with you, Dad.”

Dad grinned and nodded his head. We went to the showroom to find the salesman we’d been talking to.

“If you add the CD player, we’ll take it,” Dad told the man.

The salesman said he’d have to check with his manager and left. Dad chuckled and said, “They always say they have to check first.”

The salesman returned, led us to his desk, and took a stack of papers from a drawer. While I sat holding hands with Kyle, Dad and the salesman filled out the paperwork. Once everything was signed, Dad wrote the man a check, stood up, and shook his hand.

“You can pick it up after three tomorrow, Ms. Wilkins. We’ll have it ready for you,” the salesman said.

Kyle, Dad, and I went to Dad’s car and rode back to the house. We went in and told my mom about the truck I would get tomorrow. It was still early, and Kyle asked if I wanted to go out for a while.

“Sure, let me run upstairs and change first.”

I went to my room and changed into jeans and a pullover shirt. After looking at myself in the mirror, I changed my top, putting on a short-sleeved button-down blouse.

“I’m ready,” I said as I bounded down the stairs.

Kyle and I left and ate at our favorite little restaurant. The place wasn’t fancy, but it had great food and was reasonable.

“Sweetheart, where are you planning on taking me for my birthday?”

“It’s a surprise,” Kyle said.

“Awe, come on, tell me.”

“Not going to do it. You’ll have to wait until we get there.”

I begged Kyle to tell me, but he stood his ground, something I admired. He wouldn’t give me a hint, even with my best puppy dog face and batting my eyelashes.

After we ate, Kyle and I drove around. When he turned onto the road along the lake, I asked him to stop at the marina so I could check on the boat. He parked in the lot, and we walked out to our slip.

I disarmed the security system, and we went into the salon. After turning on the engine room lights, I went into the room and checked for water in the bilge. When I began sniffing the air, Kyle asked what I was doing.

“Seeing if I can smell any fumes.”

“Don’t you have sensors?”

“Yeah, but nothing is better than your nose.”

Kyle nuzzled the back of my head with his nose and breathed in. “Mmmm, I see what you mean.”

I chuckled and turned in his arms. We kissed, then went back up into the salon. I led Kyle to one of the settees, where we sat down.

Kyle and I started kissing and running our hands over each other’s backs. I opened my mouth, licked his lips, and moaned as he accepted my tongue. As we kissed, we fell back onto the cushions.

While lying on our sides facing each other, our kisses became more and more passionate. Kyle moved his hand down my back to my bottom. When he pulled me closer, I wiggled against him.

When his hand began kneading my butt, I reached behind me, moved it to my side, and let go of his wrist. Kyle stroked my side, and I moaned into his open mouth. I felt his thumb brush against my breast and froze for a moment.

Kyle must have felt my response and moved his hand to my waist. I rolled away and partly onto my back with my lips attached to his. His hand ended up on my stomach. He held it still as our lips parted, and I looked into his eyes.

“I love you, Kyle.” His smile warmed me.

“I love you too, sweetie.”

I took Kyle’s wrist, lifted his hand from my stomach, brought it to my mouth, and kissed his fingers one at a time as I gazed into his eyes. He smiled as I kissed his palm, then the back of his hand.

Kyle’s other arm was under my neck, his hand lightly stroking my arm. I saw his love as I stared into his eyes, making my heart swell. In a move I’d rehearsed in my mind a hundred times in the past few days, I placed his hand on my breast.

I smiled at Kyle and watched his expression change. His eyes opened as wide as I’d ever seen them, and his lips formed a smile. Kyle didn’t move his hand or start massaging my breast like I wanted him to. Like I expected him to.

I hoped Kyle would touch me in a way only a lover could in my daydreams. He would gently massage my breasts and make me hot. I’d spent several nights alone in my bed, rubbing between my legs with one hand and imagining my other hand, the one on my breast, was Kyle’s.

Kyle’s hand remained motionless on my breast, and the seconds felt like hours. It suddenly dawned on me that I’d put off Kyle’s attempts to touch me while we’d been dating. After the first few dates, he didn’t try anymore.

Once again, I became the aggressor and put my free hand on the back of his head. I pulled his mouth to mine, crushing my lips with his as I shoved my tongue into his mouth. Holding his hand to my breast, moved his palm against my mound.

I moaned into his mouth and continued to move his hand until I felt his fingers close around my breast. Removing my hand from Kyle’s, I arched my back and pushed my chest into him.

Kyle took over and began massaging me. His palm moved over my breast as his fingers gripped and relaxed around it. The more he caressed me, the more I moaned into his mouth.

When his fingers moved to the buttons of my blouse, I removed his mouth from mine and smiled.

“Just on the outside, for now, Kyle.”

“Okay.” His hand went back to my breast.

We stayed on the boat kissing for an hour. Kyle moved his hand from one of my breasts to the other but never stopped touching me. When we finally finished, my breasts were tender.

“What made you change your mind, baby?”

I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. “Do you care?”

Kyle grinned and shook his head.

We were sitting up, facing each other, and smiling. I had no idea what was going through Kyle’s mind, but my thoughts were clear. I wondered what I was waiting for and why I feared letting him touch me.

“Was this a treat, or have we moved to a new level in our relationship?”

At first, his question miffed me, but I realized it was fair. I took both of his wrists and pulled his hands to my breasts.

“Anytime you want to, sweetie.”

“Anytime?”

“Yes, anytime. Kyle, I don’t know why I didn’t want you to before, but now I do. I want you to feel me up anytime you want to.”

Kyle chuckled and moved his hands from my breasts and around my back. He pulled me closer, kissed me, and said, “You may be sorry you said it, baby.”

I snuggled against him and grinned. “Oh, I hope so.”

We laughed, kissed, then left the boat. I set the alarm, locked the door, and walked hand in hand to Kyle’s car.

Dad arrived early the next day and took me to get my new car. After he checked every nook and cranny, he accepted the truck. I drove straight to Kyle’s house. When I pulled into the driveway, one of his co-workers pulled up to drop him off. Kyle ran over to my new truck and opened the door. The guy driving the landscape truck climbed out of the cab and approached us.

“Cliff, this is my girlfriend, Trish. Trish, this is Cliff. I work with him.”

Cliff was about six inches shorter than Kyle. He had black hair and rugged features. His hands were callused, and his skin tan. When he smiled, I saw two missing teeth on the bottom. All in all, he wasn’t very attractive.

“Hello, Trish. I’m glad to finally meet you. You’re all I hear about all day.”

“I hope it’s all good.”

“Well, to be honest, Kyle here lied to me. He said you were cute, but he was wrong; you’re beautiful.” Cliff brought my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it.

“Kyle, I’ve got to get the truck back. I’ll see you tomorrow. Trish, it was a pleasure to meet you. By the way, nice truck.”

I thanked Cliff, and he left. It surprised me that a guy who looked so rough could be so polite. Kyle leaned into the truck, kissed me, and said, “Hi.”

“Hi, sweetie. Want to go for a ride in my new truck?”

“Do I have time to take a shower?”

I laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Please don’t take this wrong, but you stink.”

Kyle laughed, stepped back, and I got out of the truck. We went to the house, and I waited with his mom while he showered and changed.

Kyle’s mom and I hadn’t spent much time alone, and she took the opportunity to chat.

“Kyle told me you kids are having a party on your dad’s boat.”

“We’re planning on it, but we haven’t asked the kids we want to invite. I plan on calling them tonight.”

She smiled at me. “I’m so glad you and Kyle didn’t have any problems after what he did. I could have skinned him when I found out.”

“He told you?”

“Yes, he was so upset when he sobered up that I thought he would do something stupid. Honey, you’re good for Kyle. I would hate to see you two break up.”

When I chuckled, Kyle’s mom gave me a strange look. I told her about what happened at the wedding and how I felt until Kyle and I talked. She laughed and said she’d never heard of such a thing.

“My son has always been shy. After meeting you, he’s a changed young man who seems to have a purpose, which he lacked. I feared he wouldn’t continue his education, and now he’s talking about law school.”

I was surprised when she told me Kyle was thinking of doing the same thing I wanted and found it very flattering.

“I can’t get over how much different you look, Trish. You’re so healthy-looking.”

“Thanks. I ride my bike fifteen miles every morning and go to the gym three days a week. As a result, I’ve lost two sizes in my clothing.”

“What are you doing with yourself this summer?”

I chuckled. “Not much. I was busy with my sister’s wedding up until last week. My dad would rather have me study than work, so I’m home most of the day. I’m halfway through next year’s courses.”

“Where are you planning to go to school? Kyle told me, but I forgot.”

“I’m going to Wayne State, where my dad went, so I can live at home.”

“I’d think you’d have wanted to go away to school,” Kyle’s mom said.

“I like it at home.”

Kyle’s mom looked nervous. She was fiddling with her fingers and avoiding eye contact. I waited for a moment, thinking she had something to say.

“Trish, I know it’s none of my business, and I should probably keep my big mouth shut, but I hope you’ll understand. I want Kyle to go to college and get a good education. He wouldn’t be able to if he became a father.”

After the shock wore off, I giggled. “I’m sorry. Kyle and I aren’t doing anything to create a problem. If and when we do, I’m on the pill.”

Kyle’s mom sighed and slumped slightly like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“I’m so happy to hear you two are responsible. I don’t know if Kyle told you, but his father and I were barely out of high school when I became pregnant for him. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade him or what happened for anything, but it was tough for his father and me for many years.”

Kyle entered the kitchen, took a soda from the refrigerator, and asked if I wanted one. When I shook my head, he opened the can, placed the drink to his lips, and drained about half the contents. Kyle took a breath, turned the can up again, and finished it.

“I was dying of thirst. I worked my butt off today.”

“You didn’t have a butt when you started your job.” I blushed, realizing what I had said in front of his mother.

Kyle’s mom laughed. “Just like his father. Sometimes, I wonder how they keep their pants up.”

Kyle lifted his tee shirt. “A belt, Mom.”

We all laughed, then Kyle and I started to leave. I stopped, turned around, and smiled at his mom. “Thanks, I enjoyed our talk. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

“I’d like to. You, kids, have a good time.”

Kyle and I went outside and walked to my truck. I tossed him the keys. “You drive.”

Kyle grinned, opened my door, and I got in. He went to the driver’s side, climbed behind the wheel, started the truck, and backed out after adjusting the seat and mirrors.

I reached over and put my hand on his shoulder. “I love you.”

Kyle glanced at me. “I love you too.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Kyle made a couple of turns and pulled into the parking lot of a sporting goods store. He took me inside, and we walked through the store to the fishing department. After looking at every rod and reel combination in the store, Kyle selected one and found a tackle box. We went from aisle to aisle, picking up things and putting them into a basket. During the entire time, he didn’t say a word to me.

“I think we’re all set,” he finally said. “Now, you’re ready to go fishing.”

“All of this is for me?”

“Yup, well, most of it. I also picked up a few things I needed. Now you’re ready to hunt the mighty perch and walleye on Lake Saint Clair.”

“Thank you, Kyle.”

“My pleasure, baby. Oh, by the way, I talked to Steve. He and Lindy are up for the party. I told him we were getting together on Sunday afternoon to make plans.”

“I was going to call Lindy tonight.”

“I know, but I had to find out if there were any other fishermen before we bought all this stuff for you.”

“Did you talk to anyone else?”

“Um, well, I called Ted too. He likes to fish.”

“Am I going to be the only girl fishing?”

“No, Ted and Steve said they would hook up their girlfriends. I think we’ll all be fishing.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t call Hank.”

Kyle grinned. “I didn’t have his number.”

“Well, I guess I better call Cindy and tell her about it then.”

Kyle guided me to the camping equipment and began looking around.

“I think Lindy was going to call her.”

“You think?”

“Lindy is calling Cindy. They’ll all meet us at the Round Table on Sunday afternoon.”

“I was going to call them, you know.”

“I know, but I figured I’d help out. You’re not mad at me, are you?”

I smiled and stretched up so I could whisper in Kyle’s ear. “You’re a bad boy. No boobies for...,” I acted like I was looking at my watch. “No boobies for twenty minutes.”

Kyle laughed so loud that he attracted the attention of other shoppers. I smacked his butt and moved away from him. When he caught up with me, he bumped into my side.

“You’re a nut,” Kyle said.

“I know, but I’m your nut.”

We finished shopping and left the store. Kyle drove to my house, and we went into the yard so he could put the line on my new fishing reel. I held the spool while he transferred the fishing line.

Kyle showed me how to rig for perch and taught me the knots to use when my dad came into the yard with a man I didn’t recognize. They said hello, and Dad asked what we were doing.

“We’re getting my new fishing rod ready, Dad. Kyle bought it for me.”

“Very nice. Do you fish, Kyle?”

“Yes, but not as often as I’d like to. My uncle has a small boat and takes me out sometimes.”

Dad and the stranger went to the edge of the patio deck and began to talk. The man took notes on a pad on a clipboard and pointed at the yard. Shifting my attention between Kyle and my dad, I tried to figure out what was happening.

The man left, and Dad came over to the table.

“Who was he, Dad?” I asked.

“He’s a contractor. His company is going to install the new hot tub.”

“Don’t you just have to put it on the ground and fill it with water?”