Courageous touches, p.8
Courageous Touches, page 8
“No, you wouldn’t,” Reese bit out. “You could have, but you chose not to. Instead, you harass me and my teams constantly. We’re on our first date, and you just plopped down like…”
“Well, you could always call me instead of yelling…” Ms. Kendall began, giving it right back to Reese.
“Whoa… nuh-uh. Time out, you two,” Eileen interrupted bluntly, putting her hands up and making a ‘T’ with them. “Family Feud is questions with answers, two teams, and there’s a huge prize at the end for the winner. It’s not in the middle of a coffee shop - but watched at home. Got it?”
“Well, he won’t come over to my home…”
“There’s a darn good reason…”
“It’s been decades. Are you still holding grudges against…”
“Why yes – yes I am…”
“Reese? Ms. Kendall?” she tried interrupting again pointedly – only to see that the two opponents were too far gone in their emotions. Both were leaning into each other, snapping back and forth angrily… and completely ignoring her.
“Grudges? I’d have to care to hold a grudge, Mother.”
“That razor-sharp mouth is just like mine…”
“No, or it would be all over half the men in town.”
“… The temper, too!”
“I’ve gotten nothing from you but a few crappy genes…”
“You got a car for graduation.”
“I got ignored, Mom… that is what I got.”
“I was court-ordered to stay away…”
“Oh, here we go again, blaming other people for…”
“Well, I certainly couldn’t see you if I was in jail.”
“You never saw me or Max…”
“From a distance, I sure did – and I’m polite to Max because he’s your stepbrother, not my child nor your cousin. Remember?”
“…And I told you I didn’t want to do this.”
“But Reese…”
“But nothing…”
Eileen interrupted, leaning forward to touch his hand… and smiled politely, patting it.
“I’ll see you at the station,” she said simply, standing up. “Thank you for the coffee. It was… something meeting you, Ms. Kendall. I’m just really glad it was on slightly better terms than last time.”
“How is it better, dearie?”
“Well, no one is dead or unconscious this time around.”
Reese was gaping at her in shock, getting to his feet and looking horrified.
“I can’t do this,” Eileen apologized. “This was wonderful, but you need time…”
“More time? It’s already been years for us and…”
“I can’t watch this between you both when I just wish I could have five minutes with my own mother. You are so lucky and don’t even realize it,” she whispered, tearing up at the thought of what she would even say other than ‘I love you’ and ‘I miss you so much.’ “I can’t watch someone who is so wonderful on the inside be swallowed up by hatred before my eyes. Thank you again for the rose – and the laughs.”
“I like her…” Ms. Kendall whispered, wiping her eyes and nodding.
“Of course you do because it suits your needs,” he snapped – and looked at Eileen, who smiled sadly.
“My point exactly,” she uttered in a hushed whisper, shocked at the venom coming out of him. “I don’t want to ever have you mad at me, that’s for sure. It was never okay to talk to my parents like that, and while we grew up different, I’m… stunned. I mean, how would you address your girlfriend… or someone who was closer?”
“Please don’t make me…”
“I would never make you do anything, but you can’t expect me to sit here and listen to you throw away something that is so fleeting,” her phone shook in her hand. “… And my ride is here.”
“I’m your ride. We’re on a date, remember?”
“I texted Stephanie.”
“Eileen…”
“Good night, Reese,” she smiled, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek painfully before withdrawing and blinking back tears.
She never imagined in a million years that he would be so angry, so bitter, and so caustic towards someone. A relationship between a mother and child was supposed to be a beautiful thing, something that was gone for her… and something she would never experience on her own. All she had was her memories, and seeing this before her, she didn’t want to taint them.
“Eileen… please don’t go. Eileen?”
She exited the café quickly as the first tear rolled down her cheek. Jumping into Stephanie’s car, she saw Reese following her out of the café, looking bereft.
“Eileen?” he hollered.
“Go…” she ordered Stephanie simply.
“Is that Chief Carpenter?”
“Please just go,” she choked out, wiping her eyes and saw Reese standing there helplessly watching her leave.
“Are y’all dating?”
“I don’t know anymore.”
11
REESE
He didn’t know what to say – or do.
Dealing with his past, his emotions, and all the rejection he felt deep down inside… well, that had certainly not been on the agenda tonight. No, he wanted to romance Eileen, keep her laughing or smiling at him, and hold her in his arms.
… Never did he want to make her cry because of something he’d done or said.
“I need to think,” he whispered aloud, rubbing the back of his neck. Obviously, his mother was a very sore spot for her… and he froze.
She couldn’t have children.
Her parents were gone.
No wonder she thought he was lucky because her own tenuous bonds had been severed a long time ago. He didn’t want children because of his own background, but she had… and couldn’t. Leaving things like this between them was like pouring acid in a wound. It would be like ripping off his skin to deal with his mother, but having Eileen push him away once more?
Reese might as well rip out his heart.
He cared for her… loved her – and had for years now. Losing this chance with Eileen was not an option. Turning to walk back inside, he saw his mother standing there at the doorway… and hesitated, realizing that maybe Eileen was right.
His mother was frail. She might still be a spitfire, but that vitality he remembered from when he was a boy was gone, faded… and while he wasn’t ready to forgive or forget?
… Maybe he would just listen.
“Reese, I am so sorry your girl left.”
“Mom,” he choked out cautiously, feeling uncomfortable because he’d been so distant for so long. “Look, right now wasn’t the best time… but I’m not sure anymore if there is a good time to discuss things either. But, if we are going to talk, then it needs to be privately and I,” he hesitated, not willing to explain the thoughts in his mind on the sidewalk when Eileen was moving further and further away from him. “Are you available to go for a drive?”
“What?” his mother choked out tearfully. “Really?”
“Yeah. Let me get something at the counter to-go, and we’re going for a little drive. I’ll bring you back later… and we’ll talk.”
“Oh, my beloved sweet Reese’s pieces…”
He chuckled warily, looking at her, feeling like a boy once again strangely.
12
EILEEN
Oh gosh, her heart was breaking painfully…
For so long, she had watched Reese from the edge, seen who she thought he was, and couldn’t believe that she could be so wrong… that someone could be so unfeeling toward his own mother. Not to mention, the cat was completely out of the bag!
Stephanie was a fountain of questions, asking all sorts of things… and when she wouldn’t answer? The questions got more direct and narrowed. She loved Stephanie – but she was a gossip. It was going to be all over the station and possibly town before work tomorrow.
… And heard a knock at her door.
She didn’t bother to hide the fact that she had been crying, knowing deep down already who it was. What she didn’t expect was to see Reese standing there with his mother – holding a brown paper bag.
“Hey,” he said simply, his eyes hopeful and wary.
“What are you doing here?”
“My Reese tells me your name is Eileen,” Ms. Kendall began. “You can call me Ruthie or Clara… now, where’s your coffee pot, honey? I’ll get it started, and then we can all sit down and have a chat.”
… And walked right past Eileen, making a beeline for the kitchen.
“Can we come in?” he said softly, smiling sheepishly at her. “I can stand here, but it would be easier to talk around a table.”
“I’m not sure I want to witness or see what…”
“Hey,” he said softly, leaning forward to kiss her tenderly for the briefest second before putting his forehead against hers. “If we are going to give this relationship a try or make it work somehow, we have to have faith and trust in the other person… along with hearing what is unspoken – and I ‘heard’ you tonight. I want you to know that,” he murmured softly, his eyes closed as he grimaced.
“Reese…”
“I don’t want our chance to take another seven years,” he breathed. “I’m willing to bare my soul to you, let you in on all our dirty family secrets, and talk it out calmly so you know that I’m serious about us. I would never hurt you for the world, but I absolutely would take one for the team… for you, Eileen.”
“For you, too…” she urged softly, touching his cheek.
“I know you aren’t happy with me right now, and I understand why, too – but if I am going to try to do this, I need someone at my side who makes me feel like I’m not falling apart.”
She looked at him and pulled back slightly, seeing the worry in his eyes.
“I told you I would always be here for you, if you needed me.”
“I always have.”
“This is a pretty intense first date.”
“No novocaine or drugs involved either,” he grimaced and then looked at her. “But I did bring you another slice of caramel cheesecake.”
“So, are we doing this or what?” his mother said from the kitchen as Eileen turned to see her standing there, holding two cups of coffee… and there was a glimmer in her eye that caught her attention. The woman was just as much on edge as Reese but looking at Eileen like she was the glue between them.
Move over, Elmer’s… she thought and put her hand in Reese’s.
“Heads up,” she told him casually. “Stephanie knows we were on a date.”
“So does Chase, who told Justin, and somehow Austin knows…”
“So everybody knows now?”
“Yup.”
“Then I guess let’s sit down and have a chat with your mother… boyfriend,” she taunted glibly in a flat voice but squeezed his hand gently a few times as if to cushion her words. “Let’s tackle the first hurdle – family, lack of, and all the dirty secrets.”
She turned to his mother, released Reese’s hand, and stuck it out toward his mother. She set down the two coffee mugs, extending her own.
“Let’s start over. I’m Eileen, your son’s girlfriend… and I can’t have children.”
“I’m Clara Ruthie Kendall-used-to-be-Carpenter,” Ms. Kendall began, her voice strong, yet there was a tremor in it as she held Eileen’s hand and looked directly at her – and Reese.
“I’m his mother, cheated on his father, did a lot of things I’m not proud of, and have a stepson/cousin/I-don’t-know-what named Max that I try to keep in touch with… for Reese,” She took a deep breath, still clinging to her hand – as she turned to look at Reese directly now, not even meeting Eileen’s eyes.
“I was court ordered to counseling, lost custody for taking illegal prescription drugs, and then slapped with a restraining order more times than you can count, charged with contempt of court repeatedly … and yeah, I utterly hate Judge Eugene Stevenson – and his daddy who was a prick with the same name – ‘contempt’ was putting it mildly… and because I couldn’t keep my thoughts to myself, combined with the fact that the judge’s brother was my ex-husband’s cousin?”
The woman’s garish lipstick wobbled precariously as her eyes glistened.
“I lost my son… and I was never going to win that war, but how do you stop fighting?” she said hoarsely, as a tear streaked down her face. “How do you give up? You can’t. Family is all you have in this world – even if they hate you. You simply lose all scruples and do anything you can to reach them, like harassing my son at work. I mail packages to Max all the time, and most of them do not have a return address because I’m scared.”
Eileen was stunned as every sordid detail fell from the older woman’s lips.
“I slept with Chief Mayfield and one of the firemen at the station just so I could get a glimpse of Reese at his job…”
“And that firefighter quit because of it – transferring to another city because he was married,” Reese interjected quietly, but there was no condemnation or accusation in his voice. It was steady, unwavering, and eerily calm – and Eileen knew he was keeping a rein on his temper for her.
“I’ve faked an injury every single Friday for months now… in the hopes that you would be on the fire truck – and I always have coffee waiting, just in case.”
“Why are you…” Reese began and took a deep breath, causing Eileen to look at him as he opened them, looking at his mother. “Why are you touching or grabbing them – the firefighters? Mom, it’s embarrassing, and it’s harassment. We’ve talked about that over the years.”
“Because even your disgust and hatred towards me… is better than no emotions at all from you.”
Reese cursed openly, reaching up to cover his face, rubbing it in frustration. He sighed heavily and looked over his fingertips at his mother… his expression wavering, just before he jerked his hands down… and Eileen saw the pain on his face. She stepped away from Ms. Kendall, pulling her hand from hers, and moved to take Reese’s hand, needing to support him in that moment blindly.
… And that wasn’t enough.
She slipped her arms around him instead, hugging him as he looked at her brokenly. At his deep breath, she knew at this moment that he was going to give this a try – for her. His gaze held hers, and she nodded, proudly.
Whatever happened from here, he was trying.
“Dang it, Mom - just stop all of it and talk to me instead,” he said hoarsely – and then held out a hand towards her.
Eileen couldn’t help it. She felt tears well up in her eyes as Ruthie began to sob openly, covering her face. This was how a family settled arguments or issues, by talking it out and trying to work together no matter what. Family was sometimes all you have, and she didn’t want Reese to know the painful loneliness anymore… not when giving an inch could put a stop to it.
Reese stepped forward, pulling his mother into his arms, hugging her. It was an odd, long-overdue hug, holding Eileen under one arm – and his mother under his other arm, but somehow was right. His mother looked at her tearfully, nodding in silent thanks.
“Just stop, and let’s talk,” Reese said again. “I don’t know how to deal with you, and we barely know each other…”
“I know… and I’m so sorry.”
He stood there, holding them, before kissing the top of Eileen’s head and resting his cheek against it.
“I know, Mom… I’m sorry, too.”
They sat, had coffee, talked about everything openly between them, and nibbled on the cheesecake. At one point, Reese dug his fork in hers playfully, taking a bite before winking at her. She smiled at this relaxed view of him, grateful to see this side of him away from work… and realized she wanted to see all of these sides, these facets, of him.
The anger, the sadness, the joy, and the contentment – because they were not only coworkers but friends, and she wanted so much more from him… his heart.
He was certainly stealing hers!
As the evening wrapped up, Eileen gathered up the saucers and coffee mugs while Ruthie went to use the restroom. Disappearing in the kitchen, she immediately began filling the sink… only to feel Reese’s arms come around her waist.
“Thank you…” he said softly, kissing the side of her neck.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You may feel that way – but it was everything to me.”
“I’m glad you are at least talking.”
“We’re going to try or attempt to – maybe we could have dinner, all of us next week? We could keep it brief and short… and then spend a little time alone?”
Eileen turned in his arms, shutting off the water, and looked at his tender smile.
“Oh yeah?” she whispered.
“Mmm,” he nodded, leaning down to kiss her.
“Hey!” his mother interrupted bluntly, poking him in the side with her cane. Reese pulled back, eyes wide in surprise, and looked at Eileen, mouthing ‘What the…?’ as she laughed softly as his mother continued lecturing them.
“Don’t you mess around with my girl. I don’t want you getting in the same messes I did. Keep those hot-blooded Kendall-urges under control, young man. Your cousin got himself into a mess, and I don’t want to see you doing the same thing with my Eileen.”
“Well, I didn’t see this coming,” Reese whispered to her, smiling tenderly.
“I’m her Eileen?”
“Mine… always mine,” he corrected and pulled back, settling for holding onto her hand instead. “Mom, I think we are going to discuss boundaries on the ride back to your car. As in, I’m old enough to kiss my girlfriend in front of anyone.”
His mother didn’t hesitate, making a condescending smile as she tilted her head.
“But is it just a kiss? Hmm?” she began, poking him with the cane again. “I know my boy, and I changed that diaper for nearly three years. Every time for a diaper change or bath time…”
“Annnd we’re leaving now!” Reese blurted out, eyes widening, as he blushed – quickly kissing Eileen on the cheek. “Thanks, and I’ll see you Monday.”
