Everything Your Heart Desires by Cheryl ([email protected]) and Kristy ([email protected]) Chapter 57 It was the week after the hurricane and Kristy had never been happier. Everyone noticed her extra warm smile and the genuine joy in her eyes. Even her coworkers commented on her blissful state. "So, evidently, near-death experiences can be a good thing," Marci, one of the nurses in Kristy�s clinic commented after hearing about her and Kevin�s anxiety-inducing weekend. Kristy chuckled as she shook her head. "I guess� though I�m happy to get back to our boring little lives." Kevin and Howie had rejoined the rest of the guys on tour and were currently in Colorado. Marci and Kristy�s other coworkers rolled their eyes. The fact that Kristy was dating a Backstreet Boy was hardly "boring." They weren�t focussed on the fact that she got to travel around the country to join him on tour, or that she frequently came back to work with new "accessories", they were more impressed with the way they treated each other � with respect, friendship, and love. Kristy reached across the table for a napkin, but her hand wouldn�t move like she wanted it to. Kristy looked up at Lynn who had captured her left hand. "Damn. No ring yet, huh?" Kristy blushed and shook her head. "Have you guys talked about it?" Kristy�s blush deepened and she shrugged. She and Kevin had talked numerous times about their lives together and the future. They�d talked about dreams and goals and plans. They�d even talked about kids. But neither had said the "M" word yet. Kristy would admit she�d thought about it though. To her, "together forever" meant marriage� and she was pretty sure it did to Kevin too. But she knew that even though they were soulmates, they HAD only been together for a few months � wonderful months; possibly the best of her life � but still, only months. She knew there wasn�t any hurry. When it happened, it happened. Kristy finished her lunch as she was paged for her next patient. She was in the exam room, finishing up her visit when there was a knock on her door. "Dr. Butler? Sorry to interrupt, but Brian�s on the phone and he said he needs to talk to you." Kristy paled visibly and she rested her hand on the counter to steady herself as a wave of panic hit her. She took a deep breath, struggling for composure as she excused her patient. She went to her office, grabbing the phone before she�d even sat down. "Brian?! What happened? Is Kevin�" Brian started talking as soon as he heard her voice. "He�s okay, Kris, but he did have a little accident." Kristy collapsed into her chair, her heart racing. "He�s okay?" she asked again for clarification, taking deep breaths as she stared at the photo of her and Kevin on her desk. "Mostly� he had a pretty nasty spill while we were snowboarding � banged himself up pretty good. We�re at the hospital now � the doctors are checking him out." Kristy listened as Brian explained what had happened. "It�s something with his arm � they�re not sure if he broke it or what." "How�s he doing?" Kristy asked. Brian laughed. "Oh, he�s fine! They gave him some pain medicine in the ambulance... he ain�t feelin� no pain." He snickered again. "In fact, that�s one of the reasons I�m calling." Kristy�s brow creased in confusion. "What, you want your favorite clinical pharmacist to hook you up with some of that stuff?" she joked, finally relaxing some. "Not exactly," Brian chuckled. "Kevin � in his narcotic-enhanced state � has one request." He paused for emphasis and made his voice sound like a little kid�s. "He wants his �Kee Kee�." *~*~* Kristy met Marcus at the gate and was escorted to a tour van where A.J., Nick, and Brian were waiting for her. "Hey guys! What, you didn�t bring D too?" she asked, amused that it took four men to pick her up from the airport. "He�s back at the hotel with a sleeping Kev." "So�" Nick started, a mischievous smile on his face, "How was your flight, �Kee Kee�?" The three snickered, their laughter growing as Kristy groaned. "I�m gonna kill him," she muttered. "Is that some sorta bedroom name?" A.J. cracked. "Good Lord, Bone. Is everything about sex with you? Oh wait, it is." Kristy shook her head with a grin. "No, it�s something he picked in Oregon� My brother couldn�t pronounce �R�s� when he was really little, so he called me �Kee Kee� � and Erin was �Iah�. My father is the ONLY one who can get away with still calling me that� including Kevin." She glared at the men in the van. "Got it?" "Sure thing, Spunky." *~*~* Kristy entered Kevin�s hotel room and placed her carryon just inside the door. Howie nodded in the direction of the bedroom and left her to stay with her boyfriend. She quietly opened the bedroom door and made her way over to the bed before gingerly sitting on the edge. Kevin�s face looked peaceful in his sleep, though his arm was in a sling � immobilized against his upper body. Brian and the guys had told Kristy that Kevin had dislocated his shoulder. Luckily they had the night off from the tour and he could rest � but he was determined to perform the next night. Kristy watched him sleep, her eyes taking in every feature as they had so many times before. He had a certain power that emanated from him, even when he was sleeping. And yet, there were certain times when he could be vulnerable� like now as he was lying in the bed with his injury. Like he was whenever they made love. She brought her hand to his cheek and gently caressed the side of his face. Kevin turned his face into her open hand and kissed her palm before opening his eyes and meeting her gaze. "You came." Kristy smiled, unable to stop the tears from forming in her eyes. "Of course." She leaned down and kissed him softly. "How are you?" Kevin winced slightly as he tried to sit up. "Better, now that you�re here. How�d you get out here so fast?" "Brian called me, had Denise arrange the flight, and got Marcus and the others to pick me up. Besides, I had the time change in my favor." Kevin smiled at her, honestly feeling better from the moment she�d entered the room. "So THIS is what it takes to have you join me in the middle of the week?" She moved to sit more fully on the bed, careful not to hurt Kevin. She took his free hand in hers, shaking her head. "You�re determined to make me worry to death, aren�t you?" Kevin chuckled. "Don�t you find this a little ironic?" she asked. "You managed to survive driving through a hurricane this weekend, only to screw up your shoulder SNOW BOARDING!" Kristy couldn�t keep the indignation out of her voice. Kevin saw the combination of love, fear, and exasperation in her hazel eyes as he grinned sheepishly. "How �bout I promise that from now on, I only risk life and limb if you�re involved?" Kristy leaned forward, and brought her other hand back to his face. "And only if we�re together." *~*~*~*~* Cheryl was anxiously playing with the rings on her fingers. She could hardly remember being so nervous until she felt another hand close over hers and give a gentle, reassuring squeeze. She glanced up to see Howie�s eyes smiling back at her. "It�s just Thanksgiving. You know most of my family already and those relatives you don�t know I�ll introduce you to." It may have just been Thanksgiving to Howie, but this was certainly another giant step in their relationship. Spending the holiday with her boyfriend�s family happened mostly because of necessity � an unwillingness to be at her condo alone with a turkey sandwich. Her job had prevented her from flying to New England to share the day with her mother and sister. The joys of the public relations business. When Howie discovered Cheryl�s predicament, he had his mother call and invite her to the Dorough�s gathering. Once he and Polly AND John had done their best to persuade her to accept the invite, Howie agreed to chauffeur her to the event and had picked her up at noon as promised. "I understand why you�re nervous," he said now as he guided his Corvette onto the appropriate street. "But you�ll do just fine. All you have to remember is that I love you, B." B. Short for bella, the nickname he had given her after the first night they had made love a few weeks prior. "I love you, too� You know what might me feel better about this?" "What�s that?" "Knowing that Kris was enduring the same with the Richardsons." Howie chuckled at that. Kristy had left for Oregon the day before and Kevin had opted to go directly to Lexington from their Atlanta tour stop. Kristy had been talking to Cheryl on Tuesday evening while packing and confided that she felt it would be the last Thanksgiving she spent apart from Kevin. Neither woman could deny that Kristy and Kevin�s relationship was moving to that level where the idea of marriage was in the not-so-far future. Even so, Cheryl wasn�t jealous of that. She was comfortable with the pace of her relationship with Howie and with the solid foundation that they�d built around their love for one another. The fact that he was willing to share something as personal as a Dorough family Thanksgiving was even further proof of how much they meant to one another. Once inside the Dorough home and after the necessary introductions were made, Cheryl excused herself to help in the kitchen. Paula welcomed the extra pair of hands, and the red head, donning an apron to keep the stains from her cobalt blue sundress, set to work aiding Pollyanna with salad duty. Half an hour later, Cheryl offered to take some snacks into the livingroom where she found a small group of mostly male relatives watching the football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. The sports fanatic and former sports publicist in her analyzed the play unfolding on the screen. She shook her head in disgust. "The play was offside," she stated as the wide receiver caught the ball. "What was that?" Hoke asked. "The play was offside. The offensive guard for the Dolphins�" The television announcer interrupted her explanation with his own proclamation of a flag being down on the field. An offside play by Miami�s number 63, an offensive guard, was his subsequent analysis. Howie saw the looks of amusement and amazement that his girlfriend received and chuckled. "That�s my girl." Cheryl blushed. Howie then explained to the other spectators that she had worked in sports publicity for five years prior to coming to Orlando. He could not have been prouder as he listened to her answer the questions of the curious and told her so with a silent smile. During dinner - a traditional menu of turkey with plenty of trimmings, some with a decidedly Latin accent - Howie observed Cheryl with his family. She seemed as though she belonged there with them whether she was casually chatting with Pollyanna, joking with John or helping Angie with his nieces and nephews at the "kiddie table". He realized that he had plenty to be thankful for this year. At the opposite end of the table, Hoke noticed his youngest son�s starry eyes and smiled. He took his wife�s hand in an attempt to gain her attention then nodded his head toward Howie. "Looks like we may be setting a permanent place at the table for a certain young woman." Paula nodded. "I suspected as much. He really does love her." Hoke watched the couple out of the corner of his eye, catching his son as he captured Cheryl's hand and kissed it. He saw the young woman smile brightly. "I don�t see how there could be any doubt." Next: Chapter 58 -FanFics -Home