THE COST by qhml1, DFWBeast
She was home by 9:30.
She was always home by that time on Thursday, sometimes a little earlier. Couldn't be too careful.
It was always 10:15 on the dot when he came home from his lodge meeting. You could set a clock by it. Her father got him into it, he only went along with it to please them both. But, after he joined, he found he enjoyed the civic service aspect. He was so good at organizing fundraisers and social events that he was nominated and elected to the board of governors. As chairman of the Scholarship Committee, he worked long and hard to raise support and garner money for the project. Thanks to his efforts they were able to fund two community college scholarships a year for deserving young people.
She made sure she was clean and presentable when he got home. Sometimes she would be in bed, but often she would wait up and they would talk about the day, how the scholarship fund was progressing, the mundane things people who were married chatted about before bed. Sometimes they made love, but usually just snuggled until they slept.
The first glimmer things could be wrong came when she pulled into the driveway. She couldn't get into the garage, his car was parked at an angle blocking both doors. A feeling of unease gripped her as she got out. He had talked to her just moments before and she had told him she was at home.
Damn, she loved this house. A firm believer in apartment living, she had let him talk her into this place when the lease was up for renewal.
It was a fairly new three bedroom house, on a small lot. The selling point was the porch, wrapping completely around the house. There was a swing under the ceiling fans up front. They would often sit under them, swinging slightly, enjoying the warm summer nights.
She was sharp enough to know what he was up to. This was a family house. In her mind she could even see the swing set and kiddie pool in the enclosed backyard.
One of the happiest moments in her life up to then happened last month, while they were putting in a new flower bed. She threw a little potting soil at him to get his attention.
"Hey you."
"Hey yourself. Did I miss a spot?"
"No. I just needed to tell you I'm ready."
"No you're not. We haven't put the fertilizer or lime down yet. We have to mix it in before we plant."
"Not that ready. Ready to have a baby ready."
It's a good thing flower beds are soft, she thought, as he dove on her and pressed her down.
The lovemaking afterwards was slow, gentle, more in line with swapping souls instead of bodily fluids. She had never felt so loved. Most surprising were the tears he shed. He was always so calm, so in control.
She stepped on the porch, heading for the front door, trying to be as quiet as possible.
"Hi, Les."
She jumped. He was sitting in the swing. The porch light wasn't on and she hadn't noticed him.
"Jesus, Kenny. You scared me. Come on, let's go inside."
"No, come sit by me for awhile. Let's enjoy the breeze for a few minutes."
He patted the space beside him on the swing.
"Where were you? You said you were here, but you weren't when I got home."
She shifted uncomfortably on the swing.
"Oh, I wasn't sleepy. I remembered I was almost out of gas and didn't want to try to get it in the morning, so I ran down to the corner market."
The car only had a quarter tank, she hoped he didn't check it.
He reached out and held her hand.
"Really? I could have sworn you just returned from the Hideaway Motel over on Fifth. Room 69, kind of funny, huh? That is the room, isn't it? Jerry is kind of superstitious about things like that. Isn't this where you usually meet every
Thursday from 6:30 until 9:00?"
She gasped and tried to pull her hand back, but he had a firm grip and wouldn't let go.
"Relax, Les. I'm not going to hurt you. But I want you to promise to listen without interruption. I promise it will be your turn to speak and me to listen when we're done. Will you do that for me? Good."
She was hunched over, drawing up into a little ball, snuffling audibly. He resumed talking in a quiet, toneless voice.
"When I first found out, I refused to believe it. One of your friends saw you, and no, I don't know which one, she sent me an email from a public account."
"At first, I ignored it. But the seed had been planted, and it sprouted, gripping crevices in my brain until I finally had to get rid of it by disproving it. So I checked."
"I had a friend watch the house for me. Do you have any idea how revolting it is to ask some one to do that? Especially when he's a friend to both of us."
"This favor may have ended my friendship with him. It was terrible watching him fight his emotions as he gave me the rundown. He even had
photos of you and him going into and coming out of the motel room, including the hello and goodbye kisses. Just lucky for us he doesn't know who the man was. He tends to avoid me now, I think the pain he saw that day in my face is what he sees now every time he looks at me."
Small sobs were escaping. She tried to speak but he put his fingers gently to her lips.
"Hush now, you promised to listen first."
He held his fingers to her until he felt a small nod.
"Good. I'll try not to take too much longer."
The porch light wasn't on, the only illumination to the scene was what light slipped through the living room drapes. Even though he continued to speak in a calm, even tone, his face was a mask of pain and anguish. But in the darkness she couldn't see it.
"When he showed me the pictures, I swear the sound of my heart breaking almost deafened me. Literally, my ears were ringing. But as I thought about it, I felt I needed to know why. Why could you two do this to us?
For the first time his calm broke, and a shuddering sob slipped out. He breathed deeply for a minute, fighting for control.
"Your own sister, Leslie, how could you. When your mom died she stepped in and practically raised you. You have to know, at fifteen the last thing she would want was the responsibility of a nine year old. But she stepped up. Missed dates, dances, school activities so she could be available for you. Your Dad told me one year money was so tight that she gave up Christmas so you could have something under the tree. She loved you more like a daughter than a sister. You know she will eventually find out."
"Even though she deserves the truth, I'll never tell her. I love her too much to inflict such pain. Maybe she can forgive Jerry, she's the best woman I know. But forgiving you, Les, I don't know if even her heart is that big."
Tears were rolling down her cheeks, gaining in speed and volume as she realized for the first time the repercussions of her acts. She remembered the thrill, the smugness of knowing a secret, of getting away with something. It seemed so childish to her now.
Her mind was already seeking ways of damage control, hoping desperately she could fix this. How could she have been so stupid? But deep down she knew he loved her so much he would forgive her anything.That was her anchor, her rationalization that even if she was caught he would never leave her. For the first time, doubts crept in.
"I had to know, Les. Why? It was consuming me. So I bugged your purse."
"Remember that spiffy little flashlight I bought for you? It was also a voice activated recorder. Amazing what you can find on the net these days."
"You know what amazed me? There didn't seem to be any spark between you. It was like, we're here, let's fuck so we can get home to our families."
"He even referred to it once as 'knocking off a quick piece', and you were giggling and agreeing.
If it meant so little to both of you, why did you do it?"
"Oddly though, that gave me hope. If it meant so little then maybe it was going to end soon. Had that happened, I would have took my knowledge of your affair to the grave."
"I had a plan. I was going to change my habits, make it hard for you to keep your meetings. My thinking was that if it meant so little and I was making it difficult to get together, throw just enough hints to scare you, you two would just give up."
"I even removed the recorder from your purse. But then I did something stupid. I listened to it. Want to know why I cried when you said you were ready to have our baby? It was because of that and to me, it meant you affair had run its' course."
He stopped, talked out for a bit. He held her hand and rocked for a bit, shushing her when she tried to speak, reminding her she would get her chance later. After a bit he started again.
"Then I listened to that damn tape. That was your undoing, Les."
"I heard you tell him that this was the last time.
When he said 'forever?' I swear I heard angels.
But it was demons, gnashing their teeth in glee."
"If you can't remember your answer I've still got the tape."
He hit the button on the tape, and she heard her world end by her own words.
"Of course not, Jerry. Just long enough to get pregnant. I love him, and I want to be sure it's his. Two weeks after the doctor confirms I'm preggers, you'll be back in the saddle. We may have to meet more often, all my friends say being pregnant makes you horny all the time. Just be glad Kenny will be there to take up the slack."
Even in the dark Kenny could see the paleness in her face. Rapid, shallow breathing indicated the start of hyperventilation. He waited until her breathing returned to normal.
"You have no idea what went through my head, Les. Ugly things, things so vicious and vile I'm ashamed they occurred to me. I was going to destroy you. maybe kill Jerry. A slow miserable, torturous death."
"Finally I calmed down and thought it through rationally. I've been considering what to do for the last two weeks. It took me a while but I came up with the perfect revenge. I bet you're dying to know, aren't you Les?"
She was terrified.
"Well, honey, here it is. It was so simple I don't know why it didn't occur to me earlier."
"You don't get to love me anymore. It will never again be Kenny and Les. From now on it's just Kenny, just Leslie. We are no longer one."
"We'll never have children. The two girls I wanted because I thought there should be more like you in the world will never be. The little boy with your grace and my size? He will never exist."
"We'll never go to Lamaze class together, I'll never rub your tummy with lotion to minimize your stretch marks, I'll never hold your hand and cut the cord in the birthing room. The childhood illness, seeing them off to kindergarten, middle school, high school graduation, college, will never happen."
"No birds and bees talks, no celebrating sports triumphs, consoling them when they lose, no driving lessons. No losing sleep when they first start dating. No grandchildren."
"When your hands tremble so bad you can't cut the cake celebrating your golden anniversary it won't be mine helping you steady. You'll never get to grieve me nor I you when one of us finally passes."
"This house we both love so much? I rescinded the offer to buy. We'll never own it together. It will never hold another memory of us."
Finally his tears came.
"You killed us, Les, just as sure as if you put a gun to our heads and pulled the trigger. I've thought about it a lot. I'm tired of thinking, tired of crying, tired of feeling lost and alone.
There has to be a good woman out there looking for a guy whose only talent is loving her completely, knowing his love and trust will never be betrayed."
"Not next week, not next month, but soon, Les, soon I'll start looking."
"She has to be out there somewhere."
He let go of her hand and stood, absently brushing his pants.
"I'm going now Les. I've already took what I wanted. It was very little, I wanted nothing to remind me of you. I didn't take one picture of you, or of us together. I've got enough mental images to last me the rest of my life."
He walked to the end of the porch and turned.
"I hope you find someone, Les. Remember this when you do. I'm not leaving town or changing jobs, so we'll see each other from time to time. Please don't embarrass us by trying to talk. I'll walk away. Quietly if I can, loud and rudely if I have to."
"One more thing and I'll go. It's up to you to tell your family. You made the mess, clean it up anyway you want, as long as you don't make me the bad guy. Just say we couldn't make it work and I'll back you."
"Oh, I forgot. One more thing. Tell Jerry to stay away from me. If I'm at a bar, or restaurant, or any public place and he sees me he should leave. I would never physically hurt you, but he deserves nothing and honestly, I don't know if I would even want to control my anger."
He was about to get in his car when the shock started to wear off. Running to him, she grabbed his arm.
"Wait, please wait. You told me I could talk when you were done. Please sit back down. Let me explain, beg if I need to. I swear I'll never touch another ever again."
He gently removed her arm.
"Les, never, and I mean NEVER, touch me again. I just did something I swore I would never do to you. I lied. I don't want to talk to you, don't want to hear you explanation or justification, don't want to hear your promises. We're done, Les. You don't know how sorry I am."
He never said another word, just got into his car and left. She sat on the front steps, crying uncontrollably as he pulled away.
The knock at his door that night pulled him out of his morose fantasies of revenge and the tortuous thoughts of a future that could've been. Not that his reality was any better. His life was in chaos with his dreams shattered. Still, life moved on.
Kenny cracked open his apartment door and stared at her. She was completely soaked by the rain, and looked like a drowned rat. Her visit wasn't a surprise and he'd actually expected it sooner. Her life, along with her sister and father's lives, had all been turned upside down.
It had been a month since he'd confronted his soon to be ex-wife. Since then, there'd been such a whirlwind of events that he struggled to keep them all straight in his head. They were like demons escaping Pandora's Box. He'd flung that box open when he'd told Leslie he knew about her affair and that their marriage was over. The nightmare of their confrontation was burned forever into his memory.
He hadn't let her talk that night because there wasn't anything she could've said that would've changed things. She'd cheated on him multiple times and had no intentions of stopping. There weren't any words that could help soothe the burn from the things she'd stated to Jerry, or the way she'd enjoyed her affair, even if the sex wasn't all that satisfying to either of them. It was a game to them.
The fact it had been with her brother-in-law, and was such a dispassionate affair, still baffled him. She'd slept with her older sister's husband and had thrown away their marriage simply... because she could. She'd even promised her fellow cheater he could begin having her again after Kenny had gotten her pregnant.
That had been the coup de graĉe, the dagger in Kenny's heart. Even up until then, Kenny had been willing to try and salvage the marriage, but after he'd learned about the simple callous expectation of his wife to continue to cheat on him, his marriage died.
Kenny looked at his visitor and felt his heart break. Her mascara ran down her cheeks, mixed with her tears, and it made her look like a pitiful raccoon. She looked so alone, veiled in her pain and confusion. She peered up at him with pleading eyes, begging him for a reprieve from her torment.
He reached out and she fled into his arms.
"Shh," he whispered softly in her ear as she sobbed. "I'm told this nightmare will end. Someday soon, I hope."
She clung to him and bawled like a little girl who'd lost her favorite pet. Still solidly attached to his chest, Kenny guided her into the apartment and shut the door.
"Why?" she muttered through her tears. "Why?"
"I..." he said softly, "I don't know why."
He felt her slowly shaking her head as her crying lessened. She looked up at him and stared deeply into his eyes.
"No, not that," she whispered hoarsely. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Kenny stared back down at his sister-in-law. He wiped some of her tears away before taking care of a few of his own.
"Jill, I couldn't," he finally managed, his voice breaking with emotion. "I couldn't be the one to bring you that kind of pain. You didn't deserve this."
"But neither did you."
"No, but here we are, anyway."
He went to the bathroom and got her a towel. Smiling sadly, he handed it to her.
"I feel like such a fool," she said softly. "Not three weeks ago I was here, begging you to give my sister another chance. I'm so sorry, Kenny; I didn't know. Les was hysterical after you left her.
"It took a full day before Daddy could get anything out of her. She'd said you two had had a fight and she'd said and done some things that had caused you to leave. It wasn't until later the next week that Daddy heard differently. One of his lodge brothers informed him they'd heard from one of your friends that Les had cheated on you.
"When Daddy confronted her, Les confessed to the affair. She never gave any details and never mentioned who her affair was with."
Kenny sighed deeply. He knew Leslie hadn't told anyone about Jerry. She tried to call and talk to him frequently those first two weeks, but Kenny had simply hung up on her and blocked her number. After a few failed attempts to physically confront him, Kenny had sent a copy of his recording with several pictures.
Leslie had panicked and cornered him in the parking lot outside his work. It had gotten ugly. "Stay away from me, you cheating slut" he'd yelled loud enough for everyone to hear. She'd run back to her car weeping. After that, she'd stayed away from him. He figured she was hoping her secret would stay hidden longer that way. Kenny figured too many people knew, so the truth would eventually come out.
Jill's snort of disgust brought his attention back to his fragile sister-in-law. She looked like she eaten something that tasted bad.
"Two days after her confession, here comes big sister to try and talk with you and plead for her. I already knew it would be a waste of time. You'd already talked with Daddy and told him there would be no reconciliation. Jerry said you'd told him the same thing when he'd talked to you."
She paused and looked up at him.
"He never talked to you did he?" she said, wiping away a tear.
Kenny shook his head.
"I figured as much after Daddy told me about Les and him. Damn him! Now I have to question everything he's ever told me.
"You know my heart actually broke for my sister those first weeks?" she said softly as she fought back more tears. "My heart broke for you, too, but her pain was right in front of me. I knew it was her fault, but seeing her in such torment and despair, I prayed there'd be some way you could forgive her. Now, I hope she suffers every day! I suppose that makes me a bad person, right?"
"No," Kenny said gently, "just a deeply wounded one. I won't tell you I don't feel the same way. I hope she hurts, as well. I don't feel the same pain and rage I did when I first found out, but it's still there. Hopefully, someday, I'll be able to get past it but there will always be a horrible scar."
"How could they do that to us?" she whispered, then buried her head into his chest again and silently cried. After a few minutes, she became very still. Then in a very small voice she spoke.
"You know you could've told me. It would've been better hearing it from you rather than finding out the way I did."
"I'm sorry, Jill, but there is no better way to find out the one you love has betrayed you. And even worse, they betrayed you with someone you loved and trusted in, your own family. Besides, I knew you'd find out soon; too many others knew about it to keep it hidden for long.
"I figured many of our friends would know why we split up very quickly. Then, other things happened that were even more obvious. In the end, how did you find out?"
"Daddy told me. It almost killed him to do it, but he was finally able to."
"That makes sense. Your father always was smart. I knew after my run in with Jerry at the lodge, he'd put it all together."
"Run in?" she snorted and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "Daddy said it was more like an ass kicking!"
"Well..." He smiled.
"Well, the bastard certainly deserved it," she said still trying to dry herself. "Kenny, you wouldn't happen to have anything dry I could wear would you?"
"I'll find something, but it'll probably be way too big."
"I don't mind as long as it's dry."
He found her a pair of his sweatpants, socks and a sweatshirt. She took them graciously, dropped the towel on the chair and went to change in the bathroom. While she changed, Kenny sat back in his chair and thought back to his one and only meeting with his soon to be ex-brother-in-law.
Jerry had recently been invited to join the lodge again. He'd turned down a couple of invitations in the past and now Kenny suspected he knew the reason. It was apparent that banging his sister-in-law was more important than trying to impress his father-in-law.
After his confrontation with Les, Kenny wanted to make sure he minimized any further contact with either of them, so he'd requested Jerry's invite be revoked for personal reasons. He'd refused to give specifics to the membership committee but informed them that if Jerry joined, he'd resign. Jerry's invitation was quietly rescinded.
When Burt told him the news, Jerry didn't take it well. He confronted Kenny at the next lodge meeting.
Kenny wasn't sure if it was Jerry's arrogance, or stupidity, that led his brother-in-law to publicly confront him at the weekly meeting. He figured Jerry evidently didn't think he'd expose his part in Kenny and Leslie's divorce; he was wrong.
Jerry began yelling at Kenny and making a scene. He accused Kenny of taking his divorce out on the rest of the family. When Kenny turned to leave, Jerry made the mistake of grabbing his arm. The rest was a blur in Kenny's mind.
Kenny's response had been swift and vicious. He remembered hitting Jerry several times and even yelling "sixty-nine this you piece of shit." Kenny even had a vague recollection of being pulled off a then bloodied Jerry who was lying helpless on the floor. Of course, Kenny was still able to land several kicks into Jerry's balls before he was completely pulled away.
Naturally, his father-in-law had witnessed the whole thing. He wasn't surprised Burt had figured it out quickly. What did surprise him was that he was never arrested. In fact, the police never even visited him after one of his lodge brothers had driven him home.
"You know he was in the hospital for three days," Jill's soft voice stated, bringing him back from his thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"I said, Jerry was in the hospital for several days. They thought he was going to lose one of his testicles."
"Too bad he didn't. I am surprised I've never been questioned by the police."
"Why would they do that?" she said, grinning knowingly, "Daddy said Jerry was mugged outside the lodge and there were several witnesses."
Kenny looked confused. She tried to smile back at him sweetly. She was wearing his sweats and they were so big they swallowed her. She looked like a little girl playing dress up.
"Daddy told me that after you left, my pig of a husband came to and wanted to call the police. Daddy's response was to kick him in the balls a couple more times. When Jerry came to again, Daddy told him several of the lodge brothers had seen him get mugged out in the parking lot.
"Daddy told him he'd better run after he got out of the hospital. He warned him there also better not be any police involved, or there would be lodge brothers coming after him. Apparently, Jerry believed him since he moved out yesterday. That's when Daddy told me who my baby sister had cheated with."
Jill began to cry again. Kenny wrapped her in his arms and held her. She felt warm and he could feel her soft body press into his. The fantasy of carrying her to his bed flooded his thoughts. It wouldn't have been revenge sex, at least not for him. Jill was a very special woman. She was kind and generous, easily the best person Kenny had ever known. She wasn't as pretty as Leslie, but she had an inner beauty that more than made up for it.
Kenny knew he loved her, but not in the same way he'd once loved Leslie. Still, if they were to end up in bed together, it wouldn't be sex, it would be making love.
Stop right there you ass, he chided himself. That's right, take advantage of someone you claim to love who's vulnerable and in pain. Hell of a way to show her how much you respect her! Maybe someday we'll get together, but not now, not with all this going on.
Kenny sighed, realizing any future relationship with his sister-in-law was very unlikely. There would be too many memories and way too much baggage.
Soon, Jill had cried herself out and silently let him hold her. He felt her sigh deeply and felt her instinctively squeeze him intimately closer. Suddenly, she released him and took a small step back.
She stared up into his face with surprise and embarrassment. He chuckled softly and assured her it was okay. Giving her a chance to gather herself, he reached over a grabbed her discarded towel.
"I must look a mess," she said, taking it from him.
"Yeah," he replied, smiling brighter, "but a beautiful mess."
She snorted and quickly covered her mouth. They both laughed.
"But not as pretty as my sister, right?" she said softly.
"Jill, I ..."
"No, Kenny," she said firmly. "I know what I am. I'm a cheated on wife, whose husband had an affair with her prettier, younger sister. I'm just a worn out childless housewife, used up and not even thirty-five years old yet."
"Bullshit," He snapped. "You are one of the most incredible women I've ever met. It's not your fault... our fault, we married such pathetic excuses for spouses!
"Jill, I know exactly how rejected you feel right now. It's haunting me, as well. However, you are something special. You give and give and I know you feel empty right now, but you aren't. Even if Jerry was too blind to see it, there are lots of other men who will. Many probably already do."
"I feel like I've wasted so many years on Jerry," she said sadly. "Kenny, you know it was because Jerry said he wasn't ready that we don't have children yet?"
He nodded.
"Damn, I feel like a fool," she said with a sneer. "I feel like I threw away my youth for... for that ass!"
Kenny couldn't help but think he'd married the wrong sister. It was a thought that had crossed his mind several times the past month. Slowly he shook his head in regret.
"Hang in there, beautiful," he gently encouraged. "There's going to be a line of guys waiting to ask you out before this is all over."
"You really think so?" she whispered. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"
"Well, I do hope it makes you feel better, but it's still the truth. Jill, think about it, an attractive, early thirties divorcee with a heart of gold? Priceless!"
This time, she slowly stepped into his arms and buried herself back into his chest. Through her soft sobs he could make out the occasional muffled 'thank you.'
"Of course," he said gently, leaving the thought hanging.
She quickly looked up at him in alarm. She peered into his eyes searching for a hint of what he was about to say.
"Of course," he continued grinning. "You'll need to lose the 'drowned raccoon' look."
Her laughter was like a soothing balm for his own wounds. They held each other, two wounded souls clinging to each other. Each finding safety and comfort in the arms of someone who loved them.
They say time marches on, and Kenny found it to be true. Some days it marched slowly, other days quickly, but most days it seemed to march right over him.
With her and Jerry's secret exposed, it didn't take Leslie long to change her tactics concerning Kenny. Gone was the fear of her family and friends finding out what had happened. Most either suspected or knew the reason behind the divorce, so there wasn't a reason not to aggressively chase after Kenny.
It was quickly evident that tactic was a bad one. Kenny's responses got uglier and louder with each attempted confrontation. Soon, Leslie was languishing in a hell of her own making. The loss of Kenny was devastating, but she knew she'd been the one who threw him away. She knew she was also guilty of betraying her own sister. Her guilt and remorse was overwhelming.
She was at a loss, trying to find a way to begin restoring those relationships. She'd started fighting the divorce at first, but with the lack of support from her family and friends, she soon realized the futility. Her despair and the hopelessness began turning into frustration.
Kenny still kept in contact with Jill and they spent many nights with one or both crying on the other's shoulder. Jill was the only one Kenny would talk to about Leslie. Part of that was because Jill needed someone to talk to, and Leslie's betrayal had devastated her almost as much as Jerry's had. The other part was he needed someone to talk to, as well, and Jill knew the pain he was going through.
Jill informed Kenny that Leslie had apologized to her at least a dozen times since the affair had been exposed. Kenny didn't ask, but Jill conveyed some of the excuses her little sister had given. Basically, Leslie had said that she'd acted like a spoiled bitch. She'd cheated with Jerry because she wanted what Jill had and she never imagined Kenny would ever leave her. After that first time, it was the excitement of doing something taboo that kept them meeting together. Jill said she'd accepted Leslie's apologies, but told her they were no longer sisters. That relationship was dead. Now, there was very little communication between the two.
She'd also told him Jerry had moved out but was constantly calling her, trying to repair the damage. Jerry had said the same thing as Leslie, that he never thought Jill would leave him.
Even with the evidence Kenny had given her, Jill said she was still torn and wasn't sure she could go through with the divorce. She still loved Jerry, and the thought of being alone scared her. However, she couldn't get over the fact he'd had an affair with her sister. At that time, she still refused any reconciliation.
The whole situation was devastating to their father. Burt had tried to be supportive of both his daughters, but Leslie's betrayal of her sister was impossible to overlook. He decided to make Jill the priority, but try not to neglect Leslie. It was far from ideal but worked most days.
Burt and Kenny regularly talked, as well. Usually, it was at the lodge each week. Burt was careful not to talk much about Leslie, but focused mainly on Jill. Both men were concerned she might actually take Jerry back.
Several weeks later, Kenny was surprised when Burt informed him Jerry had signed the divorce papers and disappeared. When his father-in-law described to him the circumstances surrounding Jerry's decision, Kenny couldn't stop laughing.
"You're kidding right?" Kenny said, holding his aching sides.
"God's honest truth," Burt said smiling.
"How could you really pull that off?"
"Well with a lot of luck," his father-in-law laughed. "That, and let's face it, we weren't dealing with a guy that's ever been considered the sharpest tool in the shed!"
Both men chuckled at Burt's description of Jerry. Kenny had heard Jerry had moved to the Hideaway Motel over on Fifth after he got out of the hospital. Not surprisingly, he was living in Room 69. Well, that's where he used to be staying.
"Even with that," Kenny grinned, "it must've taken some serious planning."
"Not really. One of our lodge brothers happens to be the uncle of the man who owns the Hideaway Motel. As long as we paid for any damages and didn't hurt him too badly, he was fine. Of course, someone slipped him a few hundred as well.
"Once we had access to his room, we made sure the dead bolt was defective and waited for him to fall asleep. We used a spare key to get in and made sure to relock the door when we left. We were all disguised, but our 'leader' was in special garb."
Burt couldn't help but start laughing again.
"Kenny, you remember James Gibson? He's a lodge brother from our Miami chapter."
Kenny nodded. He'd only met him twice, but Mr. Gibson was definitely memorable. Most six and a half foot tall, muscular, ebony-skinned, bald men tend to get noticed. Those who knew James, saw past his intimidating exterior and knew he had an easy-going personality with a wicked sense of humor.
"Well I cashed in a couple of favors and flew him in for that weekend. Damn, Kenny, when James dressed up like a voodoo priest with a painted on skull face, he scared the shit out of all of us, and we knew who he was! I can't imagine what Jerry thought when he woke up with four hooded men holding him down and gagging him. Then to have James draw fake voodoo signs on his bare chest with a chicken foot and blood?"
Burt howled in delight.
"Then... then..." Burt said trying to catch his breath. “James muttered some fake Jamaican curse at him. Damn it, Kenny, I've never seen a man's eyes pop out like my pathetic son-in-law did that night. James warned him not to go to the police, otherwise he... One morning I woke up castrated. He warned him to sign the papers and leave the city before dawn, otherwise the curse he had just placed on him would shrivel his arms and legs along with his genitals.”
"I can't believe it worked," Kenny smiled, shaking his head.
"Well we were planning several other things to play on his superstitions but our visit must've been enough. Jerry was gone before the morning sun ever touched his motel room door. Like I said, no one ever claimed he was the brightest.
"All we had to pay for was additional cleaning to his room. Well, that and replace the bed mattress, since Jerry had shit all over it!"
Both men laughed until they had to wipe away a tear or two. Kenny thanked his father-in-law, but was told it wasn't done just for him. Kenny admitted it felt good knowing others were looking out for Jill.
Kenny spent the next month focusing on his work and avoiding Leslie. Her calls and confrontations had dropped off, but hadn't stopped. More disconcerting, was that she was getting angrier and angrier as their divorce plodded through the courts. Kenny distracted himself with his duties at the lodge. One of his duties was to interview potential scholarship winners for the lodge.
That's why Kenny found himself on the outskirts of town that day. It was basically a formality, but he was scheduled to interview an eighteen year-old high school senior named Samantha. The lodge had selected her to receive one of their scholarships and he was doing the final interview with her. Even though it was basically a formality, Kenny needed to make sure everything on her application was legitimate.
He was meeting her at a café that was owned by her family. According to her application and previous phone interviews, she'd been raised by her grandparents after her mother had run off. Her grandparents had owned the café up until their deaths, two years ago. After their deaths, Sam's Aunt Amanda had returned back to the area and taken over the café and raising the teen. Sam had been living with her aunt in their family home outside of town and working in the café since then. They weren't starving, but there certainly wasn't enough money to send Sam to college.
The teen's grades were outstanding up until her grandparents deaths, but had suffered badly afterwards. She'd just recently begun pulling her grades back up. The lodge's scholarship would help cover the cost attending the local community college. It would help her make a fresh start. That was something Kenny could easily relate with.
When Kenny had previously spoken with Sam, he'd realized she was quite an impressive young lady. She was polite, but certainly bold and had a very engaging personality. She was funny and very flirty. She was also more mature than he'd expected from a girl her age.
He recognized her immediately when he entered the café, even though he'd never met her. Her laughter and smile filled the place. She hopped from one table to the next, making sure each customer had what they needed.
They'd agreed to meet well after the lunch rush, but there were still several customers lingering. She greeted him with a big toothy smile and they went and sat in a corner booth, away from everyone.
Kenny was taken back by the girl. Besides her delightful personality she was quite attractive. She was taller than he'd imagined. He guessed she was about five foot ten with curly raven hair and sparkling green eyes. She had the lithe body of youth, but had the curves that hinted of having quite the attractive figure as she matured.
They talked for the next several minutes as Sam confirmed her interests and information. Her grandparents had died in a car accident, and her aunt had moved back home from Florida. She and Aunt Amanda got along wonderfully and bonded even more after their loss.
When Kenny questioned if she needed to get back to work, she assured him her aunt had told her she was covered. Kenny noticed a dark-haired, squatty woman with a warm smile behind the counter. He was slightly surprised, since the woman didn't resemble Sam very much and she appeared older than he'd expected.
He thought he'd remembered Sam saying her aunt was the younger sister of her birth mother. Actually, he thought she was supposed to be only six or seven years older than the teen. The woman behind the counter looked like she was pushing forty. Kenny didn't get the opportunity to ask before he heard a commotion behind him. Turning, he stared at Leslie storming over to them with fire in her eyes.
"You hypocritical bastard!" Leslie screeched. "So this is why you won't even talk to me and try to work on our marriage? You couldn't even wait until the divorce was final before replacing me with this child? What did you do, troll the high schools to find her?"
Kenny felt blood rushing to his face as his anger began to boil. However, before he could respond he was interrupted by Sam's overly dramatic gasp.
"Oh my god!" she squealed in a mock little girl voice. "You mean me and him? I mean like... eww! He's so old. I mean like... he's got to be thirty!"
Kenny looked at Sam and saw the sparkle in her eyes. He fought back a smirk. Her distraction had helped him control his anger. He turned back to Leslie and replied in a cool, controlled voice.
"Les, this is Samantha, one of this year's scholarship winners."
He watched as Leslie's entire demeanor began to deflate like a balloon. Shaking slightly, she leaned on the table with one hand.
"I... I'm ..." she stammered.
"Yes I know," he interrupted, "you're sorry, but like I've told you before that's not going to fix anything. The reason I'm not fighting for our marriage is because it's dead. You killed it by cheating on me, and it wasn't just me you betrayed, you slept with your own brother-in-law!"
He heard both women gasp. He looked over at Sam and saw all the playfulness was gone from her eyes. In its place was something more like... pity. That thought made Kenny's stomach sour, and the anger that had been kept in check rolled forth. He turned back to Leslie and the look he gave her made her recoil. Missing, was any love or kindness towards her.
"And to answer a few of your other questions," he seethed, "I'd have had to go to an elementary school to find someone as selfish and shallow as you are. I'd be hard pressed to find a supposed loving spouse who would destroy their own marriage and one of their sibling's, as well, just because she could!"
"You're right," Leslie said with tears starting to stream down her cheeks. "I was a selfish bitch! There's no excuse for what I did. But, Kenny, I can change. Please don't do this to us. I love you!"
"Love me? LOVE ME?" Kenny yelled. "You've got to be kidding right? Tell me, Les, where was that love when you were destroying your sister's marriage, the same sister who basically raised you? She's the same sister who sacrificed most of her life for your sorry ass!
"What did she ever do to deserve that from you? Did you love her while you were fucking her husband?"
Leslie stared at him in horror. Never in her darkest nightmares had she ever considered Kenny would air out their problems in public. However, now she stood in front of him as he spewed their private pains and betrayals for all to see.
"Make no mistake, Les, I didn't do this to us, you did! So tell me, Les, did you love me when you were planning on letting me get you 'preggers' quickly, so you could get your fuckbuddy 'back in the saddle'? What kind of love is it that looks forward to having some piece of shit lover spew his cum all over our child? What kind of sick bitch would ever call that love?"
Leslie fell into an empty chair weeping. She was soon gasping as she began hyperventilating.
"Kenny... please," she wheezed. "I'm sorry... please!"
"I told you, Leslie, you being sorry really doesn't mean a damn thing! Other than maybe make others question if you're really the heartless monster I know you are. What confuses me the most is how you could be so stupid as to think I'd EVER want to be with you again after all of this.
"Simply put, Leslie, this isn't about you anymore. There's not a damn thing you can say or do that can even begin to make up for the damage you've done. There is no way to make it up, there is no 'do over.' I hope 'knocking off a piece' was worth both marriages because that's exactly what it cost. There's no more us; you've killed that. So get over it!"
"No!" she wailed. "We can... fix... this."
"Just breathe, Leslie, before you pass out and make an even bigger scene."
Kenny's face was flushed with anger, but took on and even deeper look of rage as he took a deep breath and glared at Leslie. His look made her pause and her huge eyes stared into his with a painful understanding.
"I've told you before and I'll keep telling you," he growled menacingly. "You don't get to love me anymore. Now...
"FUCK OFF, YOU HEARTLESS, CHEATING BITCH!" he screamed.
Leslie was shocked by his pure rage at her. Any delusions she might've harbored were now gone. Their marriage was dead and all that was left was the painful aftermath. Overwhelmed, she stood abruptly and fled the café, sobbing.
When she was gone, there was an eerie silence in the café. Kenny looked over at Sam and saw her wide-eyed, stunned expression. He immediately realized every eye in the café was now on him and his face began to flush again.
"I'm so sorry," he gently stated. "That was very inappropriate of me..."
Sam's face contorted before she burst out laughing. Her laughter was disarming and contagious. Soon Kenny saw smiles on many of the café's patrons and even felt a small one beginning on his own face.
"Sir," she said peering into his eyes, "there's nothing to apologize for. At the most, you've provided more excitement than this place has seen in years!"
"Maybe so, but I feel like I need to apologize to your aunt. Would you mind calling her over?" he said looking over at the woman behind the counter.
Sam's face froze as she fought back another laugh. Finally, she composed herself.
"Sure," she said grinning broadly, "I'll go get Aunt Amanda. She's in the back working on the books."
She saw Kenny's confused look. Nodding toward the smiling woman behind the counter, she explained.
"That's Mrs. Hobbs. She and her husband were friends of my grandparents. They've worked here for ages! Now I'll go get Aunt Amanda."
Kenny sighed as he watched Sam get up from the table and hurry back behind the counter. He stared down into his coffee and tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened. He wondered how long this nightmare would keep resurfacing.
He knew he'd been cruel, but Leslie wouldn't let it go. He was done with the marriage and knew it was time to move on. It was like what he'd told Leslie that night; he'd start looking for someone to share his life and he'd start looking soon. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't hear them approach his table. Sam clearing her throat brought his attention to the two women standing in front of him.
"This," the teen said proudly grinning, "is my Aunt Amanda."
Kenny looked up and was stunned. Standing there was a shorter, curvier, mature copy of the attractive teen. Her raven tresses flowed over her shoulders and she had the same dancing green eyes. He was momentarily stunned.
Kenny stood up and stumbled through the introductions. The two women joined him at the table, and Kenny began to apologize again.
"Please," Amanda said warmly, "don't think any more about it. Your apology is accepted, but isn't necessary. Actually it reminded me of my last conversation with my ex-fiancé right before I moved back here!"
They all laughed and any tension or awkwardness was soon dispelled. Soon Kenny and Amanda were talking easily with each other. Neither realized they were now effectively ignoring Sam. Sam cleared her throat again and they stopped then smiled sheepishly.
"Well," Sam said as she leaned towards Kenny. She placed her elbows on the table and rested her face in her hands.
"Well, I wanted you to know I lied to your wife. You're not that old, just experienced. And since I'll soon be in college, I'm eager to further my education. Maybe you could teach me some things?"
Kenny choked on his coffee as Sam smiled sweetly. Amanda arched her eyebrow at her niece.
"Well," Amanda cooed, "I've been out of college for a few years but I'm always interested in Continuing Education."
Kenny choked again, much to the delight of both women. He stared into two pairs of mischievous green eyes.
"Samantha," Amanda said authoritatively. "I believe Mrs. Hobbs could use a little help behind the counter."
"Yeah, right," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "Okay, Auntie, I'll go take care of the customers while you two sit and stare at each other for a while. Well, at least until he finally asks you out!
"Sir, thank you and your lodge for the scholarship. You won't be disappointed.
"By the way," she said laughing as she walked away, "The café closes at nine. My aunt can be off before then, since she's the owner."
"Quite a young lady," Kenny said smiling and shaking his head.
"Yes she is," Amanda chuckled. "She's a real handful some days. Well okay... most days!"
They both grinned before letting things fall into an uncomfortable silence. Amanda looked at Kenny and smiled warmly.
"She's also pretty smart," she continued. "I am off at nine most nights."
"Amanda," he said softly, his smile fading. "I'm in the middle of a divorce right now..."
"Yeah, I sort of heard," she said, bursting out laughing.
Her response brought Kenny's smile back to his face. It was the first time he could remember smiling while talking about his pending divorce.
"Listen," she said gently, "why don't you come by some night after we close and we can sit and talk. I'll even provide a slice of pie and a cup of coffee. That way, we can get to know each other a little better and maybe even become friends. Then, after your divorce is final, we can see if we want to take it any further than that."
He studied her quietly for a moment before he smiled. In front of him was someone special, someone he wanted to get to know better.
"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."
The following month was surreal for Kenny. He'd taken Amanda up on her offer and dropped by the café a couple days later. He was surprised at his comfort-level with a woman he'd just met. They sat and talked, initially about general things, but soon they were discussing their most recent relationship disasters.
As Kenny described the collapse of his marriage, Amanda was genuinely empathetic. She'd seen her own engagement crash upon the rocks when she decided to return home. Her ex-fiancé had remained in Florida. Even though she'd tried to make it work, he decided he wasn't interested in a long distance relationship and broke things off with her.
At first, Kenny stopped in one or two times a week, but it soon turned into an every other night occurrence. As he looked forward to his talks with Amanda more and more, his hurt and depression surrounding his failed marriage became less and less. Kenny wasn't sure where his relationship with Amanda would go, but the promise of it seemed to be healing more of his broken heart every day.
Besides his visits to the café, he continued meeting with Jill. She knew about Amanda and Sam before he even told her. Apparently, Leslie had been watching him and was lamenting her fears and frustrations to her father, who in turn had mentioned it to Jill. Jill thought it was karma. Giving him a small kiss, she'd told him she was happy that he'd found someone special to talk to.
Kenny told her he already had someone special to talk to, but it was nice having two beautiful women to confide in. Jill blushed before giving him a huge hug.
When his divorce was final, he asked Amanda out on an actual date. She accepted with a warm smile and told him to come over to her house Saturday night for dinner. Afterwards, he could take her out dancing.
Kenny began laughing when he arrived at her home that evening. He'd never been there before, but he immediately felt at home. Amanda and Sam's house was an older two-story farm home on a several acre lot. It had a huge front yard and a large garden in the back.
The old farmland appeared to have been sold off, since the property was now surrounded by new housing additions. The thing that brought the biggest smile to his face was the big wraparound porch. It was definitely a family house.
Karma, Kenny thought and smiled.
Epilogue -- six years later
Kenny sat on the porch swing and watched the little raven haired girl playing on the swing set in the yard. He sighed deeply and smiled.
"What are you thinking?" asked a warm, soft voice behind him.
"Just remembering," he said smiling.
He'd been pleasantly surprised he'd been able to find peace so quickly after Leslie had torn out his heart. Of course, his new wife had a lot to do with that. He knew he was one of the fortunate few that met a beautiful young woman during his divorce who ended up being his new wife. It read like a fantasy.
Others in his life were doing well, also. Kenny's words had been prophetic concerning Jill. Even before the divorce was final, there were guys calling and asking her out. She had quite a few suitors after the divorce. She ended up marrying a guy a few years older than her who happened to be a lodge brother. He treats her like gold and she's extremely happy. She's already given him two sons and Burt is an ecstatic, doting grandpa.
Burt, Jill and her family stayed close with Kenny and his wife. They even brought the kids out to the 'farm' at least once a month.
Not surprisingly, none of them ever heard from Jerry again.
Leslie hung around town for a couple years. She dated some, but the stigma of her reputation caused most to be classified as disasters. Her relationship with her sister never recovered. Jill learned to be civil with Leslie, but they were never close again.
Leslie's relationship with her father remained fairly strong, although he wouldn't tolerate any of Leslie's self-pity. He'd also shut down any negative talk concerning Jill. Leslie still frequently kept in touch with him after she left town.
Burt had recently mentioned to Kenny that Leslie was trying to turn her life around. He said she'd started seriously dating a nice guy. Kenny thanked him and said he hoped she'd really changed. Secretly Kenny doubted it, since it's hard for a leopard to change their spots. Still, hope seems to spring eternal in most parents' hearts.
Kenny thought of the love Burt had for his daughters. It had been beaten and bruised by the past events, but it still remained. Kenny understood it, doubly so now. He looked again at his three year-old daughter playing in the yard and his heart swelled with pride.
He grinned to himself remembering that same pride he felt two years ago when he walked his step-daughter down the aisle. Sam had been a stunning bride and he'd found it hard to let go of her hand and give it to the young man standing there. The fact that her groom loved Sam as much as she loved him made it easier.
Slowly he turned and looked into his wife's concerned face.
"Just remembering," he repeated gently. "The past is the past, but I think about it on occasion. It helps me remember how lucky I am now."
"Good answer," Amanda cooed.
She went over to her husband and sat her very pregnant body in his lap. Kenny instinctively wrapped one arm around her and placed his other hand on her bulging tummy. Amanda leaned forward and kissed him. He felt his heart swell as her kiss turned more passionate.
She sighed and laughed when they felt the baby kick.
"Your son wants to come meet his Daddy," she whispered. "It won't be long now."
Kenny squeezed her tightly as she snuggled deeper into his arms. He smiled to himself knowing he'd found a woman who'd matched his only talent. They loved each other completely and there was no fear of betrayal. It was, without question, a minor miracle.
Sometimes, there's a very high price for happiness. Most aren't willing to pay the cost upfront. Fortunately, or unfortunately, every IOU comes due someday.
Life goes on.
