Now and Forever 4, The Renovated Heart (18 page)

After he left, Kit tossed on a pair of jeans
and a cashmere sweater. Slinging her arm around her daughter, they
headed for the car.

“How?”

“Shopping!”

They shopped for clothes for Zoe’s ski trip.
Kit bought presents. Zoe bought a few things for her and Tunney
too.

Once home, they took lunch into the living
room so they could listen to Christmas music while they wrapped
presents in festive paper.

“Tunney will be surprised when he gets
home.” Kit sat cross-legged on the floor sipping hot chocolate,
watching the lights on the tree blink.

“The tree looks great. Thanks…thanks for
doing all this. I know you did it for me.”

Zoe sat down next to her mother and gave her
a hug.

* * * *

Wednesday night snow started to fall. Tunney
joined Kit by the tall window in the bedroom. Snug in their terry
robes, they watched the snow drift down, visible only in the light
of a streetlamp.

She had everything for the holiday already
in the house, so she wouldn’t have to go out in the snow. Johnny
had teased her about her lists, saying she was
obsessive/compulsive. Maybe, but she got things done. Tunney
admired her ability to organize. She sighed, the sound of
contentment.

She felt safe, warm…yet sad. This year
there’d be no Christmas Eve open house, cooking for fifty of their
friends, like every year…no Christmas caroling in the snow with
Zoe…no Christmas afternoon tobogganing on their favorite hill in
Central Park. Johnny always worked on Christmas, so Kit and Zoe
made family traditions together. This year there would be no family
traditions.

Tunney stood behind her, his hand resting on
her shoulder. She turned into his embrace to bury her face as tears
spilled onto his robe.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, pulling her
closer.

“I’m thinking about the Christmas traditions
I’ve lost this year.”

“Time for new Christmas traditions.” He
kissed her head.

“Like a snake shedding a skin, only
painful.”

He hugged her. In a few minutes she calmed
down. He kissed her forehead then moved south. She lifted her chin
for his kiss then dropped her robe to reveal the black nightie with
red ribbons underneath. He slid his hand down to her breast. A sigh
escaped her throat. So far, they had refrained from making love
with her daughter in the house. But Kit’s patience was gone; having
him so close tempted her beyond reason.

She opened his robe, sliding her fingers up
his bare chest while his mouth caressed hers. He pulled her close,
pushing the straps of the nightie down, exposing her breasts. She
whispered.

“Make love to me.”

“Are you sure?” He raised his head to look
into her eyes.

“Ohhhh…yeeeesss.”

“I’m finally getting to rip this nightie
from your body,” he breathed, pulling the scrap of material down to
the floor. He shed his robe on the way to the bed, leading her by
the hand. He kissed her passionately, then slowly lowered her onto
the silky sheets. She opened to his tongue. Her hands slid around
his back, down to his butt. Kissing became caressing and kissing.
His hands seemed to be everywhere. His fingers closed around the
soft flesh of her breasts, then glided over her belly and between
her legs, exciting her.

He stroked her gently at first, then faster
and harder. She squirmed under his expert touch.

“I want you…I want you so bad,” he breathed,
his breath warm on the sensitive skin of her neck.

Hunger rose in her loins, she had to have
him…soon. Her fingers wrapped around him, spurring him on, feeling
him grow hard as granite with desire.

His mouth devoured hers; there was a slight
roughness, an urgency to his lovemaking.
Waiting was rough on
him, too.
He slipped two fingers into her moist opening causing
her to gasp with delight as heat sped through her veins. His chest
crushed hers, his mouth nibbling from her neck to her shoulder as
she gripped his back, her nails digging in. It was lust between
them, pure, animal lust.

He leaned over to grab a condom out of the
nightstand. He slipped it on quickly, his breathing ragged. Kit
wriggled in anticipation. As he approached her, she whispered,
“Take me….oh, God…Tunney…please.” The ache for him threatened to
spiral out of control. The heat grew inside her…she could lie still
no more.

“My pleasure,” he replied in a hoarse
whisper.

He pushed her knees up, hooking one leg over
his shoulder while one hand trapped hers over her head. He thrust
into her hard and groaned. She focused on the sensation of him
inside her, moaning then cooing. The heat of their love consumed
her, driving all thought from her mind. Kit was drowning in the
dark pools of his eyes, where his lust mixed with his love. Her
hips matched the movement of his as he thrust into her harder and
stronger, groaning with every one until the intensity climbed up,
up…out of control, her muscles clenching, pushing her into a
mind-numbing orgasm. He placed his mouth over hers before she
screamed his name.

Sweat dripped off his forehead as he made a
few more thrusts before exploding into release, groaning into her
mouth. Afterward, she feathered a few light kisses and licks on his
shoulder and neck, relishing the slightly salty taste of his skin
and the scent of his sensuous aftershave.

“Oh, I…you…”

“I love you, Kit.” His eyes were almost
black, somber, more serious than ever.

“Oh, my…” A few tears leaked out of her eyes
onto her cheeks.

“Why are you crying? I just told you I love
you.”

“I love you, too.” She sniffled as he wiped
her tears with his thumb.

His lopsided grin returned, lighting up his
face. He hugged her and kissed her hair.

“That’s the best present you could ever give
me,” he whispered.

They clung to each other, drifting into
sleep together.

Snow still floated down from the heavens at
eight in the morning on Thanksgiving Day, spreading a quieting
blanket of white on the world. Kit awoke to find Tunney asleep with
his arm around her. She stretched her legs and arms, feeling
deliciously happy. He had declared his love for her, there was
snow, and Zoe was here. Soon the great bird would be in the oven.
She’d be humming carols while she cooked her favorite meal.

Kit rolled over, snuggling up to him,
pushing her breasts against his chest and winding her arms around
his neck. He opened his eyes. A grin slowly took over his face, his
mussed dark brown hair fell in his eyes. He squeezed her shoulder
and nuzzled her neck.

She raked her fingernails down his back,
eliciting a moan from him. He rolled over on top of her, pushing
the quilt down to his waist. She wrapped one leg around him. They
shared a passionate kiss when the door burst open.

“It’s snowing outside!” Zoe announced,
standing in the doorway, struck speechless by what she saw.

“Zoe!” Kit exclaimed, sitting up, covering
herself with the quilt.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she said, backing
out of the room, closing the door.

“Oh, God,” Kit groaned, falling back on the
bed.

They put on robes and padded downstairs to
prepare breakfast. Tunney took out the bacon and eggs. He started
the bacon first while Kit put on coffee.

“Zoe, breakfast!” Kit called up to her
daughter.

“Not hungry!” The girl called down from her
room.

“Zoe!”

“Not coming down” Zoe slammed the door.

Kit climbed the stairs then knocked on Zoe’s
door.

No answer.

“It’s me.” Her mother spoke through the
closed door.

“Don’t come in.”

“Please, Sweetheart. Don’t hide. These
things happen. Please, let me in.”

Zoe unlocked the door. Her mom entered,
closing the door behind her.

“I can’t face Tunney.” Zoe hid her face in
her hands.

“So you came in when he was…kissing me. It’s
just about love, honey. He loves me. Although you do need to learn
to knock before entering a room, especially a bedroom.”

“Not gonna do that again! All you were doing
was kissing?” she looked out the window.

“Yes.”

“But he was…on top of you.” Zoe climbed onto
her bed and crossed her legs.

“Still, only kissing.” Kit sat on the edge
of the bed.

“Is that how you do it? Does the man get on
top of you and kiss you first?” Zoe asked, still staring out the
window.

“Sometimes. It can start like that. It can
start other ways…” Kit stammered, feeling color rise to her
cheeks.

“So he kisses you then he does it to you,
right?” her daughter asked.

“He doesn’t exactly do it
to
you; sex
is about both people participating.”

Kit looked down at her hands fiddling with
the sash of her robe.

“I don’t get it.”

“You’re too young to get it. You’ll
understand soon enough. Let’s not rush this.”

“But I want to know.” She insisted, leaning
forward slightly.

“What else do you want to know?”

Kit slid back on the bed, leaning against
the wall.

“What does an orgasm feel like?”

“Where did you hear about…that?” Kit asked,
her eyebrows shooting up.

“Melissa and I overheard some of the older
girls talking about orgasms.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“It’s the thing that happens to you when you
have sex with a guy.”

“Sort of…close enough,” Kit mumbled.

“So…what does it feel like?”

“Think of having an itch…one you can’t
scratch for a while. Then all of a sudden, you scratch it.”

“Yeah, so?”

“It feels good, like when you can finally
reach an itchy spot on your back…you scratch it…it feels so good?
An orgasm feels like that, sort of…only better.”

“So the man scratches your itch for you?”
Zoe stared at Kit.

Kit burst out laughing, embarrassing her
daughter.

“Sort of,” she said. “I’m sorry, I don’t
mean to laugh.”

“Where does the itch come from in the first
place?”

“He creates the itch.” She faced her
daughter.

“He creates the itch with
his…his…thing?”

“No. With his hands, by touching you,
nicely, gently, in certain places…and by kissing you.”

“Oh, like feeling you up…making out. Then he
scratches the itch with his thing?”

“I guess you’ve summed it up. Sort of.”

“But he has to love you first, right, before
you let him scratch your itch?”

“Oh, yes. Love first. Then birth control.
But you’re a little young for this aren’t you?” Her brow knitted as
she gazed at her daughter.

“I’m almost twelve. I want to know…how it
happens and stuff.”

“You’re not planning on any of this…now…with
a boy…are you?”

“Relax, Mom. I’m only eleven.”

She let out the breath she’d been
holding.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Her gaze
connected with Zoe’s.

“Not yet…maybe soon.”

“Take your time, honey. Have I answered all
your questions?”

“For now. I’m hungry.”

Zoe got off the bed, heading for the stairs,
followed by her mother.

Once in the kitchen, they slid into seats at
the table.

“Chef Tunney presents…bacon and eggs,” he
said. “What took you two so long?”

“Zoe had some questions for me.”

Kit went to the sink to turn on the hot
water. She put the pan in to soak while her daughter tucked into
her breakfast.

“Oh?” he asked.

He folded the egg carton down, returning it
to the refrigerator. Kit motioned him to come to her at the
sink.

“She wanted to know what an orgasm feels
like,” Kit whispered, her eyes twinkling.

Tunney spit out his coffee in the sink. His
face got red.

“So I told her.” She grinned at him.

“Too much information,” he said, moving
toward the table.

“Total truth, all the time, right?” she
said, laughing.

“Great bacon, Tunney,” Zoe called out from
the table.

* * * *

After breakfast, Zoe went to a tall window
in the living room to watch the snow. Sun shone brightly, making
crystals of snow glitter like tiny diamonds. Frost on the window
warned her the temperature had dropped overnight. Powdery snow
invited her to jump in and play. The trees had a coating of snow on
their branches, shading them, giving them depth.

“A perfect day for sledding. Can we go?” Zoe
breathed on the glass then drew a heart with her finger.

“Let’s open presents first,” Kit suggested,
knowing a sled and a toboggan were two surprises awaiting her
daughter under the mammoth tree.

After presents were shared, Tunney took her
out in the snow to his favorite boyhood sledding hill. Kit hummed
Christmas music while she started their Thanksgiving meal. Once the
turkey was roasting in the oven, she put on her warmest clothes and
went outside to make snow angels.

Tunney lured the women into a snowball
fight, winning handily. Wet clothing hung on a makeshift
clothesline in the kitchen. Frozen fingers hugged warm mugs and
cold bodies found comfort in flannel robes.

The day seemed to fly by. Zoe seemed happier
than Kit had seen her in months. They sipped gourmet hazelnut hot
chocolate from Zabar’s, their favorite New York gourmet shop,
basted the turkey, mashed sweet potatoes for a casserole and
watched
Miracle on 34
^th
Street
for the umpteenth time.

The table in the lavender dining room was
laden with a feast at about five o’clock. The tired three filled
their empty bellies with the sumptuous meal, perfectly cooked.
Finishing up with a secret recipe pumpkin pie, they ate in silence
for a bit.

“I hope you won’t miss mom too much when she
goes away,” Zoe said, glancing at Tunney while they munched on
dessert.