Fallen

Chapter 3

We walked together to the kitchen. Karly's mom was doing food prep and Karly was sitting at the kitchen island watching her. Mrs. Kay looked up from a pot of water she was filling. "You two get things sorted out?"

Joshua clapped his hand on my back, "Yep, I think so!"

I smiled, Karly looked at me, worried about me obviously, "You okay?" She asked me.

I walked up and kissed her lightly, then turned and looked at Joshua. He just looked at me, smiled and then laid a kiss on his wife that put the one I put on Karly to shame. When he came up for air he gave me a shit eating look, daring me to beat him...

"So, I assume this means you're sleeping in my room with no further complaints?" She asked me.

"Yes dear." I said humbly.

Her mother looked at her, "Smart and trainable, I like it!"

Karly preened, "You just need to keep them on a short leash!"

I wasn't interested in getting into that competition. I moved behind Karly and rubbed her shoulders. She stretched and reached back grabbing me and pulling me closer. I stopped rubbing her shoulders and wrapped my arms around her, breathing in her vanilla scent.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed her. Then a thought occurred to me. "Can I help you, Mrs. Kay?"

Mrs. Kay looked at her husband, he looked at her and said, "Good luck getting him to stop... if you can you're smarter than me."

She gave me a harsh look. "Do you intend to stay in my good graces young man?"

I stood up straight and looked her in the eye. "Yes, ma'am."

She met my stare evenly, "Then you will not call me Mrs. Kay, and you will not call me ma'am."

I made sure that I did not slip this time, "Yes, Marsha, you have my word."

Marsha looked at her husband, "See. You just have to be direct."

He looked wounded, "No fair!" He protested, "He would have shit himself and ran it I'd have tried that!"

She laughed and swatted his chest, another habit Karly had that she seemed to have inherited from her mother.

I moved around the kitchen island, "What are we making here?"

Marsha looked at me, "Mashed potatoes and garlic bread, to go with the steaks Joshua is making."

I noticed Marsha called her husband Joshua too... a good point to observe.

I looked at Marsha, "Go grab some time with your husband, I can do mashed potatoes and garlic bread!"

Marsha looked at Karly, Karly's face lit up beautifully, "He can cook really well mom, you should let him."

Marsha looked at me, "I don't really like the idea of a guest in my home cooking me dinner..."

I smiled at her to disarm her, "And I don't like the idea of freeloading." I looked down at the island, "Please let me help."

Joshua pulled his wife's arm. "Come on dear, I want to smoke a cigar, you can come outside and join me while I watch the steaks!"

I looked at Joshua, "How much time do I have before the steaks are done?"

He looked at his watch, "About two hours."

Shit! Steaks took that long to cook on the grill? What's the point? I wondered.

"And how many am I cooking for?" I asked them.

Karly counted in her head, "Well, us four, plus Sam, her boyfriend, and three grandparents."