Seeing what he did for a living, as part of his rental agreement Rich naturally looked after the lawn and over the last few years he’d turned the backyard into a private oasis. It was where Rich and Lizzy and the rest of the gang always hung out together.
Check that: it was where they always used to hang out together.
Noticing that Dan’s silver Toyota SR5 4×4 was parked in the driveway, Kelly sighed and walked around the house into the backyard, concentrating on nothing more that putting one foot in front of the other. If she thought too hard about what was about to happen, she’d probably turn around and run away.
As fate would have it, Dan was the first person she ran into by the gate, exiting the back door with his hands full of beer bottles and trying to carry a bag of salt-and-vinegar chips clamped in his teeth. When he saw her, he opened his mouth to speak, but only managed to drop the chips and two of the beers trying to catch it on the way to the ground. One of the beer bottles shattered on the patio stones, while the other hit grass and was okay. Dan just stood his ground, not knowing whether to pick up the broken glass, or to greet Kelly.
“Smooth move, ex-lax,” Rich said, coming out of thehouse behind his friend, but when he saw Kelly standing there at the gate, he stopped laughing and gave her a quick wave. “Hi, Kelly. Glad you could make it. Umm…here, let me take those.” Rich grabbed the unbroken beer from Dan, scooped the bag of chips off the ground, and bolted for the fire pit. Without looking back, he shouted, “Clean that shit up, okay? One of you drunks will cut yourselves later if you don’t.”
With Rich gone, there was no one else to distract the estranged couple and they were forced to look at each other for the first time in months. “Hi, Kel,” Dan said, clearly as nervous as she was. Dropping the beer had certainly proven that much at least. “I’m just gonna grab the dustpan and broom inside. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure. I’ll get the big pieces while you’re gone.”
“Okay, but don’t cut yourself.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“I do worry about you though. Always.”
“Well don’t. I’m a big girl.”
Dan nodded, disappearing into the house, and Kelly felt like reaching up and strangling herself. She hadn’t meant to be so cold. After all, he was only trying to be nice. I’m a big girl now? Jesus! What a stupid thing to say. Turnabout was fair play though. Dan had really hurt her and she was obviously still pretty pissed off. If he’d thought she was going to show up here and things would be just like the old days, he was kidding himself. Doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way to be a total bitch though. Point taken. She’d try to chill out and relax. At least give him a chance. After all, the truth was she wanted him back probably as much as he wanted her.
Dan returned, handing Kelly the scoop while he worked the broom. Kneeling before him felt weird and made her skin start to tingle, wonderfully familiar and strangelyintimate at the same time. Damn he looks good, she thought, a smile touching her lips as her eyes roamed over his shaven head, his hazel eyes, his full lips, his chocolate skin, his broad, muscular shoulders and washboard abs hidden only by a thin black cotton T-shirt. She stopped herself there, knowing if she looked much lower she might be in trouble here.
“What are you smiling about, Kel?” Dan asked, encouraged. “See anything you like down there?”
Kelly stood up, the moment quickly lost, mad at herself for instigating things. “Don’t flatter yourself, cowboy. I’m not your girlfriend anymore, remember? How’s that slut Tracey doing these days? She might be able to help you out.”
“Ah come on. Don’t be like that. I was never with Tracey. Not then and definitely not now. It was all a big mistake. I’m really sorry I fucked things up. Honest I am, and I’m going to make it up to you, I
Check that: it was where they always used to hang out together.
Noticing that Dan’s silver Toyota SR5 4×4 was parked in the driveway, Kelly sighed and walked around the house into the backyard, concentrating on nothing more that putting one foot in front of the other. If she thought too hard about what was about to happen, she’d probably turn around and run away.
As fate would have it, Dan was the first person she ran into by the gate, exiting the back door with his hands full of beer bottles and trying to carry a bag of salt-and-vinegar chips clamped in his teeth. When he saw her, he opened his mouth to speak, but only managed to drop the chips and two of the beers trying to catch it on the way to the ground. One of the beer bottles shattered on the patio stones, while the other hit grass and was okay. Dan just stood his ground, not knowing whether to pick up the broken glass, or to greet Kelly.
“Smooth move, ex-lax,” Rich said, coming out of thehouse behind his friend, but when he saw Kelly standing there at the gate, he stopped laughing and gave her a quick wave. “Hi, Kelly. Glad you could make it. Umm…here, let me take those.” Rich grabbed the unbroken beer from Dan, scooped the bag of chips off the ground, and bolted for the fire pit. Without looking back, he shouted, “Clean that shit up, okay? One of you drunks will cut yourselves later if you don’t.”
With Rich gone, there was no one else to distract the estranged couple and they were forced to look at each other for the first time in months. “Hi, Kel,” Dan said, clearly as nervous as she was. Dropping the beer had certainly proven that much at least. “I’m just gonna grab the dustpan and broom inside. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure. I’ll get the big pieces while you’re gone.”
“Okay, but don’t cut yourself.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“I do worry about you though. Always.”
“Well don’t. I’m a big girl.”
Dan nodded, disappearing into the house, and Kelly felt like reaching up and strangling herself. She hadn’t meant to be so cold. After all, he was only trying to be nice. I’m a big girl now? Jesus! What a stupid thing to say. Turnabout was fair play though. Dan had really hurt her and she was obviously still pretty pissed off. If he’d thought she was going to show up here and things would be just like the old days, he was kidding himself. Doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way to be a total bitch though. Point taken. She’d try to chill out and relax. At least give him a chance. After all, the truth was she wanted him back probably as much as he wanted her.
Dan returned, handing Kelly the scoop while he worked the broom. Kneeling before him felt weird and made her skin start to tingle, wonderfully familiar and strangelyintimate at the same time. Damn he looks good, she thought, a smile touching her lips as her eyes roamed over his shaven head, his hazel eyes, his full lips, his chocolate skin, his broad, muscular shoulders and washboard abs hidden only by a thin black cotton T-shirt. She stopped herself there, knowing if she looked much lower she might be in trouble here.
“What are you smiling about, Kel?” Dan asked, encouraged. “See anything you like down there?”
Kelly stood up, the moment quickly lost, mad at herself for instigating things. “Don’t flatter yourself, cowboy. I’m not your girlfriend anymore, remember? How’s that slut Tracey doing these days? She might be able to help you out.”
“Ah come on. Don’t be like that. I was never with Tracey. Not then and definitely not now. It was all a big mistake. I’m really sorry I fucked things up. Honest I am, and I’m going to make it up to you, I
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