Unplanned Love (Savage Love) (4 page)

     “Why should that bother you,” she asked confused.

     “You talk about him all the time, at least when you aren’t talking
to
him on your cell. I’m gonna be the odd man out.”

     “Kevin, Bryce and I have a close relationship. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s no different than you and your cousin.
She’s a girl, a hot one at that, but do you see me getting all jealous when the two of you are hanging out?” reasoned Seanna.

     “That’s different, were family, blood related,” countered Kevin.

     “Blood isn’t what makes a family. I should know. I was raised by a man who loved me like his own, but I don’t have a drop of his blood. In fact out of all the people I care most about in this world, only one shares my blood,” she said calmly.

     “Am I one of them?” he asked softly.

     “Sometimes you make me wonder why…but yes, you are one of the people I care about. But I’m afraid it’s a package deal. If you take me you get us all,” she said with a smile.

     “And what if we just don’t hit it off?” he questioned.

     “Well…I guess we’ll cross that bridge when, no
if
, we get to it. And it’s not like Bryce and I are joined at the hip, we’ll have time to ourselves, and I’m hoping he’ll bring a friend.” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she realized that that wasn’t what she wanted at all.

     “You never said he might be bringing someone!” said Kevin relieved.

     “He might not, I just told him he should,” she said.

     “So we’ll have some alone time,” he said taking her hand across the table.

     “We will,” she smiled.

     “Then I’m sorry I’ve been such a jerk. I guess I’m a tad jealous,” he admitted.

     “I forgive you, and you don’t have to feel that way. Bryce is my brother,” she said, repeating it in her mind as well.

     “How about I take you home so you can get a good night’s sleep before our long plane ride tomorrow
?”

     “Hey Kevin,” just as Seanna reached over to grab her purse out of the booth next to her, the four loud college girls materialized.

     “Hi ladies,” Kevin answered with a smile.

     “Where’ve you been?” asked the tall blond with the most cleavage showing.

     “I’ve been busy…” he shrugged.

     “Well…when you’re un-busy look me up,” she answered with a wink of her long fake lashes.

     “Friends of yours?” asked Seanna as she pretended to try and find something in her bag.

     “You could say that,” chuckled Kevin.

     “But not good enough friends that they needed to know I’m your girlfriend?”

     “You wouldn’t like them and to be perfectly honest, they’d chew you up and spit you out. But
don’t worry about them…the reason they haven’t seen me is because I’ve been with
you,”
he said.

     “Yeah, maybe you should have explained that,” she said as she stood up and walked to the door.

     Kevin kept her waiting at the car door while he paid the bill and took time to straighten his coat. She just stood there with her hands in her pockets and stewed. Finally he unlocked his door, got in and flipped the lever to unlock hers.
So now he’s not opening the door for me, what a gentleman.
Seanna got in the car and buckled up. Kevin didn’t say a word the whole way back to her dorm. When he pulled up to the curb and didn’t park, Seanna got out and started walking up the steps. When Kevin tapped the horn, she went back to the car to see what he wanted.

     “So you’re picking me up right? I don’t want to leave my car at the airport,” he said like nothing was wrong.

     “Right now, I’m thinking I’ll drive by myself to the airport and you can stay here and ‘look up’ your friends from Fast Eddies,” she replied.

     “Seanna, grow up! If you don’t want me to go, then fine. But don’t act like it’s about those girls. I fully expected you to back out. After all two’s company but threes a crowd,” he said looking her in the eye.

     “What’s that supposed to mean,” she asked wearily.

     “If I don’t go, it’ll be you and Bryce. Just the way you wanted it.”

     “You tell me to grow up! You know what, Kevin, you’re absolutely right. I do want to spend time with Bryce and he would probably ‘chew you up and spit you out’!” she said as she slammed the door and ran up the steps.

     When she got to her room her roommate wasn’t there so she undressed and crawled in bed. She tried to go to sleep, but she kept replaying all that had happened with Kevin over and over in her head.
Why do I put up with all of his crap? Because he’s the only one who had shown any interest in you since you started school here! And he looks like someone out of a Calvin Klein add. Well beauty is only skin deep! I’m done…
No sooner had the thought went through her mind and the phone rang. Jumping out of bed so fast that she banged her shin on the trunk at the end of her bed, she hurried to her coat pocket where she had left her cell. It was Kevin.

     “Hey”   

     “Were you sleeping…?” Kevin asked quietly.

     “No…”

     “Seanna, I’m sorry for being such a jerk. I’ve been laying here and thinking about the stuff I said. I can’t help being a little jealous…I keep thinking that someone else is going to come along and take you away from me,” he tried to explain.

     “Kevin, you don’t have to worry about that, especially with Bryce. You’ll see when you meet him,” she said relieved that he had called and apologized.

     “So does that mean you still want me to go with you,” he asked hopefully.

     “Yep,” she laughed. “I would have been miserable there without you and you know it!”

     “Ok, then go to sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

     “Good night, Kevin.”

     “Dream of me,” he said right before he hung up.

     Seanna woke the next morning with the remnant of a dream still in her head, but she was pretty sure that the man in her dreams was not Kevin. She always seemed to either feel uncomfortable or tense around her boyfriend, and the in her dream, she had felt neither, only a sense of security and acceptance. Too busy to analyze her nighttime musings, she didn’t give it much thought and wrote it off as just one of those dreams that don’t have any significant meaning to them.

Chapter 5

Togetherness

     By the time Wednesday rolled around Bryce and Alyssa had explored every inch of the Island. The only one who hadn’t joined them much was the three grandparents. Bryce hadn’t pressured the young lady for any more information hoping she would open up to Seanna when she finally arrived. Leal and Trisha had invited the two youngsters to go kayaking with them and they readily agreed. By ten o’clock all four of them were wedged in two man kayaks paddling around the island. Alyssa had her underwater camera that she had let Daffyd purchase for her the day before, clicking pictures and leaving most of the work to Bryce. He had to admit he was enjoying watching her excitement. In her big sunglasses and white sun block on her nose she looked about thirteen.

     When she noticed a Spotted Eagle Ray gliding a few feet from the kayak, she almost tipped them over trying to get a picture. It didn’t take long before their arms and shoulders got tired and they headed to the beach rest and grab a bite from the lunch they brought along. Trisha insisted that they reapply sunscreen and Alyssa re did her ‘whiteout’. About an hour passed relaxing in the shade until the pull of the water drug
them back into their kayaks. By the time they got back to the resort it was almost time for Seanna and Kevin to arrive. Bryce could tell that Alyssa was a little nervous about meeting Seanna but he didn’t know how to set her at ease.

     “You’
re gonna love Sea,” he repeated for the third time.

     “I’m sure I will…I’m more worried about what she’s gonna think of me, I’m kind of a wedding crasher,” she said wryly.

     “Well, if you are, then so is her boyfriend,” he laughed.

     “I think I’ll go and shower and change before they get here,” she said as she headed towards her cabana. “Hey! Thanks for the great day!”

     “You’re welcome,” he called after her.

    
As they neared the unloading dock on the Island Seanna could see a group of people waiting there.
My family!
She grinned from ear to ear and stood up waving. Kevin shook his head and reached up to steady her in the fast moving boat. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Seanna loved her family. In the short time that he had known her, he’d never seen her this excited. It was going to be a
long
vacation.

     “Somehow I think my reception will be less than cordial if I allow you to fall over board, dear,” he said as he pulled her back onto the bench next to him.

     “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen my mom, and I haven’t seen Grandma Sally since last summer.”

     “Who’s she again?” he asked confused.

     “She’s Leal’s grandma,” she reminded him.

     “And Leal is….”

     “Kevin, weren’t you listening? Leal and Trisha work for Daffyd,” she said patiently.

     “So the grandma of
one of his employees is here for the wedding? Doesn’t the guy have any real friends?” he asked sarcastically.

     “
Obviously, you haven’t been listening. I already explained it all. You’ll just have to figure it out,” she said as they slowed down and glided up to the dock.

     Bryce was the first one there holding out his hand to help Seanna out of the boat. As soon as her feet hit the docks, he grabbed her up and swung her around, only stopping to hand her off to her mother. Soon there was so much activity on
the dock with hugs and kisses that no one noticed Kevin getting out of the boat or standing to one side, except for Alyssa. She caught his eye and he walked over to stand close to her.

     “Not family?” he asked low enough for only her to hear.

     “Nope…” she answered just as low. Finally Seanna came to her senses and looked around to find him. She grabbed his arm and brought him into the crowd. “Everybody this is my friend Kevin. Kevin this is…everybody!”

     “Wow, Sea that was helpful,” Bryce laughed and put out his hand towards Kevin.
“Bryce, soon to be big brother. That beautiful women over there is Seanna’s mother, the goofy guy next to her is my Uncle Daffyd. The little one hanging on Sasquatch over there is Trisha, and that is Leal that she is gripping. My grandparents Lucille and Bryson, our adopted grandma Sally and the young lady you were just standing by is Alyssa.”

    
“Nice to meet you all. I hope you will give me some time to get all the names and faces straight,” he said with a charming smile.

     “Ok. So I’m hungry!” said Seanna cheerfully.

     “Why am I not surprised. How much have you spent on feeding her?” he laughed looking Kevin’s way.

     “I plead the fifth,” he answered with his hands raised.

     As they sat in the open dining area they regaled the two newcomers with all of the adventures that they had experienced since being on the island. Even Alyssa recounted the spotted eagle ray and their kayak trip that morning. The food and the company were both wonderful. Kevin began to relax and teased Seanna about the amount of food she had packed away.

     “The first day we met I had the meager remains of a double cheeseburger and a large fry in front of me, so you were fairly warned,” she teased. “So where are we staying?”

     “You are staying in the hot pink cabana with Alyssa…” said Samantha.

     “If that’s
ok with you,” Alyssa cut in.

     “Fine by me,” she said smiling at her new roomy.

     “Kevin, you can either bunk with Bryce or you can have a cabana to yourself. It’s totally up to you,” Samantha continued.

     “No offence, Bryce, but
I’m used to rooming on my own,” he said looking at Seanna.

     “Not a problem, we have the whole island. No need to double up. We just figured the girls would prefer company,” Daffyd cut in.

     “We do,” both girls said at once. That got a laugh out of the whole table.

     “I’ll go make sure they put your things in the right place,” said Daffyd as he excused himself from the table.

     “I’ll show you where we’re bunking,” offered Alyssa.

     “You have an hour to get comfy and meet us at the beach!” said Bryce. “What
? He said noticing the look that Leal was shooting his way.
You
didn’t even give me thirty minutes.”

     “He’s right, Love,” Trisha said patting Leal’s knee.