Chapter 23

Kristen was sleeping soundly, without the slightest sign of unrest. Mark leaned over and kissed her gently. She smiled in her sleep and cuddled closer to Kayla.

He deepened the kiss, trying to wake her gently. "Mmmm?" she murmured, cracking one eye open.

"Hey love," he said. "I've got to take Kayla home. Do you want to stay here, or go with us?"

Her eyes flew open all the way. "Don't leave me by myself!"

He nodded, smoothing a strand of hair back from her cheek. "It's okay. We won't. You can come with us," he said soothingly.

She relaxed, then smiled impishly. "Do I have to get dressed?"

He smiled, and nodded again. "Yes."

"Spoilsport." Kayla sighed. "I wouldn't make her get dressed."

Kristen giggled.

"You wouldn't go to jail if they caught her with you nude," Mark said, then grinned evilly and suggested, "You could take her in when you get home for one last quickie, though."

Kayla blushed. "Um. No. They'd eat her alive."

Kristen nodded, surprising Mark, and asked "Does your dad still have that freezer?" eliciting a deep sigh and a nod from Kayla.

Mark leaned over and kissed Kristen. "I love you."

"Love you, too. If I must wear clothes, toss me my snuggly sweater and that wrap around skirt, honey, please?" she asked him.

He kissed her nose and headed for the closet. As her father had mentioned, her closet was surprisingly bare. Compared to those of his female friends in college, it was practically empty. A pair of jeans, three or four skirts, two dresses and two sweaters. One pair of heels, one pair of flats and one pair of very worn, ragged cowboy boots. That was it. Mark frowned as he pulled out the clothes she wanted and brought them to her. "You know, we should drive up to Dallas this weekend and go clothes shopping, love."

"Why?" Kristen asked, pulling on the sweater. "I've got enough for a full week."

Mark looked at her a little oddly. "You are the only female I've ever known who didn't jump at the idea of shopping for clothes."

She shrugged. "Seems like a waste of money, really, Mark. Yeah, I'd like some pretty things, and more sweaters would be nice, since it's getting chilly, but it's no big deal. Clothes cost lots of money."

"Not that much, love," he said. "Especially since we aren't paying rent anymore."

"There's still property taxes," she pointed out. "You don't have to buy me things. I'm fine."

"But I like buying you things, love."

"Honey, you're a teacher," she said. "Teachers don't make any money. They all say so!"

"I don't make that much, yeah," he said, "but we've got almost no expenses, either."

She hugged him impulsively. "I love you," she said, with an exasperated little sigh. "If you really want to buy me clothes, you can."

He grinned. "Wonderful."

Kayla snorted. "I'd prefer to burn the ones you have, myself, so that you have to go naked. Men have no imagination." Kristen giggled at her and fastened her skirt. Mark looked thoughtful. "Hmm ... naked. I could live with that."

"You do," Kristen pointed out. "I don't have a robe or anything."

"Oh yeah," he said, leering at her.

She raised her nose in the air. "Course, it is getting cooler these days. I could start wearing pajamas."

Mark feigned a look of horror. "I guess I'll have to keep you warm. Pajamas are evil."

She smiled and held up her arms. "Done now. Carry me?" Obligingly, he picked her up and she sighed happily and snuggled against him. "I shoulda broke my ankle a long time ago," she murmured.

He shook his head. "All you had to do was ask me to carry you, love," he said, bending to kiss her hair. "You're a lot closer to me this way than when you're walking."

Kayla laughed. "Lifting heavy objects. So that's why we need men."

Kristen's eyes got wide. "I'm a heavy object?" she asked, chin quivering.

He raised an eyebrow, looking at Kayla. "Damn. I thought we men were supposed to be the ones to stick our feet in our mouths like that."

The little brunette looked horrified. "Oops. Shit. No sweetie!" she hurried to say. "You're a tiny little bit of a thing. Delicate. Fragile. Ethereally beautiful. It's the responsibility of carrying something so precious that's heavy."

Mark gave a low whistle. "Good save."

Kristen giggled again. "Well, that's okay, then I guess."

Their drive to Kayla's house encountered no difficulties, however, as was standard, every light in the house was one when they pulled up. The previously multi-colored grass was now dead, and there were some very odd looking mushrooms growing it its place.

"Do I want to ask about the mushrooms?" Mark asked.

"No. Definitely not," Kayla said emphatically. "I haven't even asked about the mushrooms yet."

He chuckled. "I see."

Kayla gave Kristen a quick kiss and ran into the house. Mark shook his head, smiling as he watched her jog up the walk.

Kristen sighed. "We need a time machine."

"Oh?"

"So we could just skip the next three and a half years," she said.

He shook his head. "No. I don't want to miss a single moment with you ... or her."

"We wouldn't miss any," she said, "we'd just hop from one to the other, being totally absent in between. We'd stay the same, but since our birth-dates wouldn't change, legally we'd be seventeen."

"Hmm ... interesting idea," he admitted. "On the other hand, that'd mean you'd still be in high school at twenty."

"Nope," she said, with a smug little smile. "Both of us could easily get our GEDs and just start college. Be a bit more work, but doable."

"Well then, why don't you get us a time machine for Christmas?" he teased.

She grinned. "Wish I could, love, I really, really do."

He kept his eyes on the road, paying careful attention to his driving ... perhaps a bit more careful than was actually needed as he asked, in a voice that tried hard for casual but didn't quite make it, "I take it you've decided you want her around indefinitely, then?"

"Um," she said nervously. "Unless you have a problem with it. Or develop one."

He shook his head. "No, not at all. Just the opposite, in fact. She's ... good with you. I like seeing you two together."

She smiled. "I'm glad, Mark. I've been really, truly happy. But I couldn't stand it if it hurt you."

He glanced over at her. "So, have you figured out how you feel about her yet?"

Kristen hesitated. "Maybe. But I'm just really not ready to talk about it yet. Not ... in words, y'know?"

He reached over and squeezed her leg. "I understand, love, but ... you know you can talk to me about anything, right? If you just need to talk, to work it out. I love you."

"I know, Mark. It's not you. It's just me. I just can't talk about it, not yet."

He nodded, then asked hesitantly, "Could ... could I talk to you about something?"